


Jackal Children

by Hana_Writes



Category: Overwatch (Video Game), おおかみこどもの雨と雪 | Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki | The Wolf Children Ame and Yuki
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Near Drowning, OC children - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pregnancy, SO MUCH FLUFF, Shapeshifting, Slice of Life, Supernatural Elements, Wolf Children AU, slight blood warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-04-08 13:09:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 50,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14106078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hana_Writes/pseuds/Hana_Writes
Summary: Young doctor in-training, Angela Ziegler meets and befriends an enigmatic woman, Fareeha, and is plunged headfirst into a world she had thought only belonged in fable as the two inevitably grow closer.As their relationship blossoms, they learn together the trials and tribulations of raising a family of the supernatural kind in a world of normality.





	1. Prologue

It was a tepid summer's day and Angela sat alone in the scantly filled lecture hall, pen frozen in hand as her mind wanders, half absorbing the monotonous droning of her lecturer.  
Something, something, hand your papers in after class. 

The same paper Angela had blitzed through a week ago. 

The young medical protégé studied to become a doctor at a university in Zurich, granted with the scholarship that covered her tuition. She worked part time, at a small locally-owned café to cover food and rent and lived in a quiet suburban neighbourhood alone in her small, scant, one-roomed apartment.

Blue eyes scan the near-empty lecture hall; it was that time of semester when students began skipping class to finish assignments to hand in by the end of the day. 

Her gaze fell on a woman sitting a across the room a few rows ahead, hand scrawling notes at a feverish pace, head flicking up and down between her notes and the tutor before her, diligently absorbing as much as possible. This stranger was so unlike any student she had ever seen around here before, she realises. She never recognised this figure,though she prides herself for remembering almost every face this late in the semester. And yet, this woman... 

From what Angela could see from her seat, she had no textbook. She bore jet black, shoulder length hair; two braids, adorned by golden ornaments hung from the sides. She wore a black leather jacket, hugging her broad fig-

"Alright I think I’ve rambled on long enough," the lecturer pipes up in Swiss German, "That's enough for today. I’m holding a bonus workshop tomorrow evening in the library for those in need of some extra assistance or advice. Please don’t hesitate to stop by! Don't forget to turn in your papers by 5pm and I'll see you all next week." 

The room erupts with students breaking their silence to resume much needed conversation they had been resisting for the past hour. The sound of paper fluttering, books closing, bags zipping-up, wooden chairs scraping back against the timber floor. Angela organises her own belongings before shuffling to the front of the room to place her paper in the tray amongst the other students’ before exiting. 

She turns to find the woman in the leather jacket, to put a face to the mystery and finds her at the back of the lecture hall, books and papers tucked under her arm, slinking out the back door, alone. 

Angela turns on her heel and follows her up the stairs as the door hisses closed before the stranger, pushing it back open into the now bustling halls. Blue eyes scan the crowd of young adults moving between class, chattering and gossiping about the exams, their upcoming practicals, weekend plans and other uninteresting nonsense before her eyes land on a familiar tall figure rounding a corner towards the stairwell. She picks up into light jog to keep up with the taller woman's stride and when she rounds the corner,the woman is already halfway down the stairs.

“Warte bitte!”

The woman turns around at Angela's voice. Dark brown eyes are set hard, fixing her with a glare, boring into Angela's own soul. The first thing she notices is, what appeared to be, an Egyptian design for a tattoo below her right eye, curving elegantly over a well-defined cheekbone. Angela falters for a moment, a sudden bout of shyness washes over her under this woman's gaze. She stutters out a poor attempt at a sentence before is cut off by a cool voice.

“English. Please."

"I- I uh, was just making sure you hadn't forgotten to hand in your report.” Angela gestures at the books below the woman’s arm. “That's wh-"

"I am not enrolled here," she cuts her off once again. Her voice is thickly accented, cold, sturdy. "I can quit coming here if I bother you." She turns to continue down the stairs, conversation apparently over, leaving Angela lost for words. 

Angela deflates a little, sighing and turning to head back to the lecture hall before sparing one last glance at the mystery Egyptian woman now stepping out into the courtyard in front of the building.

Children are squealing and laughing, chasing each other through the open area and weaving around the women. The smallest boy trailing after the group trips and stumbles, face planting into the dirt before her. Angela watches as the women stops in her tracks and turns to the sobbing boy, kneeling and helping him to his feet. They exchange words and the boy nods his head, swiping his runny nose with a dirtied arm as she ruffles his hair and continues her way out of the campus. 

Angela smiles at the sight and decides to follow her once again. 

"Wait!" She shouts, this time in English, jogging to catch up. "What's your name?"

The woman pauses when Angela stops besides her, catching her breath. She regards her quietly, her expression firm yet not quite bordering on annoyed before speaking. "Fareeha. Ah... Fareeha Amari"

"Angela," she returns, extending her hand. Fareeha quirks an eyebrow and takes it in her own, returning the shake. Angela immediately notes the roughness of her skin, the strength of her grip, and yet how gentle and careful she takes her own hand in hers. 

Angela chews her lip in contemplation for a moment, Fareeha’s steely gaze looking down at her quietly. "It doesn't matter if you aren’t enrolled here, but it will be hard to keep up if you don't have a course book. Not to mention the German language barrier. Would you… want to study together? Maybe? I don’t know if maybe… you…" Her eyes flicker away, cursing internally at the blush she can feel creeping over her ears and cheeks.

And for the first time since meeting, Fareeha softens, lips twitching into a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ho ho ho! Hana has a fresh new fic! And it's gonna be big!  
> Special thanks to Lunari for taking time out of her day to beta this for me!  
> Those who have seen Wolf Children know what's in store for the series (spoiler: no i'm not killing off any characters in my version) and i'm real excited to share it! I've been working on this for a long time and i'm actually near finished - however i'd prefer to stagger the chapters.  
> \--  
> Translations:  
> I've made a big effort to make sure translations are correct, citing multiple websites, but please correct me if I have  
> Warte bitte - wait please


	2. Spark

Angela jots down her customers order one by one at the local café she works at.  
Grande caramel latte, skim milk, and a grande hot chocolate, no marshmallows, extra whipped cream for the girls on their weekend shopping date. Tall creme coco de menthe for the kid with the sweet tooth. Masai double shot cappuccino for the struggling student hunched over his laptop in the corner, no doubt in finals week and probably hasn't slept in 30 hours. 

She glances out the window and catches a glimpse of somebody walking past, wearing a leather jacket. Her mind wanders to the handsome student... Is she even really a student? The tall, dark and handsome woman with the lopsided grin. Fareeha with the serious exterior and soft interior. Fareeha with the- "--I'm so sorry ma'am, would you mind repeating that order again for me?"

She works well into the evening, the constant trickle of customers ebbs and steadies before her boss tells her to head home before it gets too late, thanking her for staying back the extra hours to help. 

Temperatures are beginning to decline as does the amount of daylight provided as the Swiss summer graduates to fall. She tugs on her coat and makes her way back to her apartment, stopping by the local late-night grocery store for a few things.

She carries a scant basket through the aisles, just a few items inside, shopping for one as usual. 

She returns home to her tiny apartment by 6pm. She cooks dinner for one. She eats alone and then she retires to bed and picks up a book to read, alone. 

Her thoughts wandering, as of late, to the mystery woman that is Fareeha. To those enigmatic brown eyes adorned by black ink boring into her own blues, eyes that could hold a thousand secrets and stories below that stoic exterior. Her calloused hands in her own soft hands, the very strength and calmness she radiates in everything does.

And though she knows next to nothing about this woman, Angela is as hopelessly drawn to everything that is Fareeha Amari as Icarus is to the sun. She wants to spread her wings and chase.

\--  
As though stuck in the same predicament, Fareeha was dumbfounded by this stranger’s, Angela’s, kindness. She grips the steering wheel of her work vehicle a little tighter, brows knitting together at the thought. The conviction within those blue eyes when she’d chased her down not once, but twice offering help. Her smile was so sincere, hands so gentle…  
She mentally slapped herself. _Don’t get too familiar._

“Green light, Amari,” a voice from the seat beside her breaks her reverie and shifts back into gear to continue down the road.

\--

They begin to spend time together on campus. Angela teaches Fareeha basic Swiss German and assists with deciphering the professor’s notes. Fareeha’s notes are scrawled in Arabic in her notebook. 

“It is difficult to decipher German notes into English.” She says slowly. “I only know how to translate it into English from Arabic. But I write and retain knowledge much better in my native tongue.” Fareeha explains sheepishly. Angela can only beam at her dedication to learn. She practically radiates steady determination and Angela quickly realises the brilliant mind that Fareeha possesses. Somehow managing to translate between three languages for a medical degree she isn’t even enrolled in.

In return, Fareeha offers to teach Angela Arabic.

Eventually, Angela asks Fareeha why she's so interested in learning medicine without enrolling for class. She secretly guesses perhaps Fareeha doesn't have the required visas to allow her to study... or she possibly cannot afford classes.

Fareeha shrugs haphazardly, "It is fascinating to learn, and it gives me something interesting to do to keep busy outside of work, y’know? Before I came to Switzerland, I travelled a lot. And by doing so, it cultivated a want to learn more. I have no interest in fancy degrees or diplomas. Knowledge of the world is enough for me.”

Through Angela’s casual questions, she learns that Fareeha works part time as a furniture mover, leading to the toned biceps and broad shoulders Angela has chanced a glimpse at once or twice.

This had been first job she was able to secure in Switzerland, due to her language barrier and lack of legal paperwork. The company was happy to hire some extra muscle with her motivation levels, and they even provided her with a Swiss driver’s licence. The only form of identification she owns in this foreign land. 

In-fact, one of her only personal possessions. 

Fareeha speaks little of her life before Switzerland. In fact, she speaks very little of anything, though Angela learns she came here with only the clothes on her back and the willingness to start a new life.  
\-- 

Angela sits in class jotting notes. Fareeha pulled a late night at work and no-doubt slept in, her seat remaining empty beside Angela as time ticked on. Her eyes flicker between the clock and the tutor speaking at the front.

Movement catches her eye and she glances out the window to see Fareeha jogging towards the building, kicking up the crisp orange leaves littering the cobbled path of the campus below, books clutched in one hand.

She’s moved to the back of the lecture theatre for classes since her and Fareeha have begun studying together, as to avoid suspicion drawn to the unofficial student that has somehow managed to crash every lecture without being pulled up by the tutor.

Angela shuffles over, hearing the back-door hiss open slowly, clearing space at her table as Fareeha drops down beside her, panting and apologising under her breath for being late. Angela smiles fondly and rubs her back before giving her a quick catch-up on what she had missed. 

 

The more time they spend together, the more the usually stoic Fareeha begins to open up and talk more. Angela takes her to the campus library and uses her student ID card to enter, smuggling Fareeha, who is couching in the most comically obvious manner behind the blonde and following behind her. The librarian only quirks an eyebrow at the two from her desk. Angela smiles brightly and waves and keeps walking with Fareeha, who apparently still thinks she's gone unnoticed, close in tow. 

Once inside, they both separate to explore the labyrinth of books. Angela browses the medical aisles as usual, a stack of books slowly building in her arms.  
She passes the foreign section to find Fareeha keenly flicking through the pages of what seems to be a book written in Arabic, thoroughly immersed, her eyes scanning the pages with an unfamiliar fondness.  
Angela wonders how it would feel to be so far from home, in a country where your native language is so rare to come by so much that just finding a simple book with said language is enough to make you feel a little at home. 

 

She becomes more and more enamoured with Fareeha by the day and soon enough they're spending their time together, even when not studying.

And in turn, Fareeha grows more and more comfortable with Angela’s presence, visibly more relaxed and willing to chat with the blonde.

 

“What do you like to do?”

A chill in the air starts to form.

“What’s your favourite food?

The last of vibrant leaves wither into oranges and browns.

“What were the people you loved in the past like?”

Fareeha chuckles and takes all questions in stride with her usual saint-like patience. She walks Angela home after class when she can. They stroll through the local park together as the sun begins to set and the autumn chill begins to nip at them. They fall into a comfortable silence. Children are running and playing together in the playground, joggers pass them on their evening run.  
An elderly fellow walking his dog approaches. The hound’s ears prick up and sniffs at the air before settling on the two women walking closer. With a spontaneous yank on its leash, it jerks forward, hackles raised growling and barking, at Fareeha in particular, who coolly steps around the struggling gentlemen apologising profusely trying to restrain his agitated dog. She smiles and gives him a polite wave while Angela cautiously steps away from behind her human shield. 

“Dogs do not like me very much,” Fareeha admits to her companion. “Not sure why.” She scratches her cheek, suddenly enamoured with the sky.

The park is bathed in a deep orange light from the setting sun as they near the end of the trail approaching towards Angela’s neighbourhood. 

"Why is your name "Angela?" Fareeha asks out of the blue.

"Why?"

"Mmm."

She takes a moment to mull over the question.

"Well, I suppose when I was born I had snow white hair and my eyes were already open. The brightest blue eyes you'd ever seen on a baby!" Angela explains, "Perhaps my parents thought I looked like an angel of sorts,” She fluttered her eyelashes and mock-flipped her hair. “I'd never gotten to ask them before." Angela suddenly sobers.Fareeha says nothing, listening intently as if waiting for more.  
"They were ahh... When I was seven, they died in a car accident. Couldn't be revived in hospital. I suppose that's when I decided that I wanted to become a doctor someday, to save lives and ensure no child has to feel the pain that is losing their parents like I had."

Fareeha hums lowly in acknowledgement and reaches out to place a hand on Angela's shoulder. "You have my condolences, Angela.” 

Angela play shoves Fareeha lightly and smiles, “I came to terms with their passing a very long time ago, Fareeha, it’s alright. Thank you, though. What about you? Do you have family back home in Egypt?”

She hears Fareeha inhale deeply at the question. “I uh…” The warmth in her gaze grows steely and distant, concentrating on something invisible before them. “I…” She opens her mouth and closes it, eyebrows furrowing in frustration. “No. I have no family.”  
\--

Angela finishes work and jogs to their meeting place, at one of their favourite cafés where she finds Fareeha standing out the front. She is leaning against the wall of the café in her usual leather jacket, with the new addition of a scarf tugged up and covering her chin and mouth. Angela had given it to her after one particularly chilly night that Fareeha had walked her home.

“I’ll not have you walk home at night in the frigid Swiss cold dressed in just that, Fareeha Amari,” Angela had scolded, standing on her toes to reach Fareeha’s height to wrap the royal blue and gold detailed scarf around her neck, despite adamant protests of it not being that cold.

She stops for a moment, across the road just to watch Fareeha idly flip through one of her books while waiting, brown eyes studying the pages intently, glancing up to scan passer-byers for Angela briefly before returning to her reading.

Outside of work, outside of study, they build a routine on buying a takeaway coffee and strolling through the local park together to unwind and spend time together. Sometimes they chat the entire way, sometimes they fall into a comfortable silence, contented enough with each other’s presence. 

Soft snow crunched below their boots as they walked. Fareeha suppresses a shiver and stuffs her hands in her pocket. “Switzerland is by far the coldest I have experienced in my travels,” she muttered.

Angela chuckles good naturedly, “I’m quite positive I’d melt if I ever visited Egypt, I’m sure.”

Fareeha grins lopsidedly at her companion “What? Forty degrees and sunny weather does not sound appealing to you?” and laughs as the blonde’s expression withers at the thought. “To be fair, I enjoy having four seasons, rather than a mild winter and several months of summer. No in between. Especially here, the snow is truly beautiful,” she mused. 

With every walk they take together, Angela seems to learn something new about the mystery woman that was Fareeha. After their last talk, she learnt that family was a touchy topic and opted to not bring it up in future conversations. Oddly enough, Fareeha managed to segway into conversation about it whilst she talked more of her job.

“From the outside all apartments on a building look the same,” Fareeha begins,” but on the inside, they are all different. Some rich, others poor. For large families or for single people. Families with young children or old couples.”

They are walking through the park at night as Fareeha talks, climbing stairs up a hill to stop and overlook the city at night. 

“I bet it’d be nice to have your own house. Where you can say “I’m home”, and you are able to take off your shoes then wash your hands and face. I’d build a bookcase and fill it. And when that’s full, I’ll build another. Where you can come home to somebody’s arms, hear the patter of children’s feet. Cooking and sharing a hearty meal with a family. A home where you can do whatever you want. Where you don’t need to run or feel lost anymore.” She hadn’t realised the ‘anymore’ had slipped out unconsciously.

Fareeha looks over the city, distant thoughtful gaze scanning the light-littered skyline. Angela is watching her, admiring the way Fareeha's eyes sparkle in reflection, at how she'd never opened up this much to her. Angela's heart squeezed as she tried to respond, blush creeping over her cheeks. She musters up a brave smile and tears her gaze back to the cityscape and whispers,

“I’ll say welcome home when you arrive, if you want."

Fareeha falters and looks at Angela. 

The blonde doesn’t dare look back at the other woman just yet, face burning hot, and doesn't catch Fareeha’s hesitant gaze before they continue their walk. 

Fareeha stays quiet for the most part of the rest of their walk, seemingly lost in thought. They speak nothing of their quiet confessions and the subject drops for now. 

 

She trails a few steps behind Angela and abruptly stops. “Angela…”

“Yeah?”

“There’s something I have to tell you.”

Angela then stops and turns around.  
“What is it?” Blue eyes study her, curiously. 

Fareeha seems to wrestle with her thoughts, lips twitching to speak. She fidgets slightly with the hem of her shirt.

“You can tell me anything,” she prompts softly.

“The truth is….” The silence stretches agonisingly as Fareeha struggles and sighs, “We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Goodnight, Angela,” her voice wobbles a little. She turns to leave stiffly. 

“Ah… okay. Goodnight Fareeha."

\-- 

By now, winter has completely rolled around. Flurries of snow occasionally fall, blanketing the streets with a sheen of white. The streets are lined with trees decorated with thousands of glittering Christmas lights as the festive season approaches. Families, groups of friends or the odd single person stop by the café for a quick fix with their arms overloaded with newly bought Christmas gifts.

Angela finishes her shift, tugging on her coat and scarf before braving the cold to head to her meeting place with Fareeha. She jogs a few blocks over to the cafe to find Fareeha has not yet arrived. Taking out one of her textbooks, she waits outside, tugging her scarf a little higher over her chin. Minutes tick by into an hour, still no Fareeha. She knows that Fareeha has no want for owning a cell phone, but it’s times like these she wishes she did.

The dinner rush is over and people are gradually clearing the area. Angela bounces and fidgets to keep warm. She purchases a coffee in the meantime before returning to her post.  
More time ticks away, shops along the street are closing, signs being pulled inside, tables and chairs being packed away, lights going out, including the cafe she'd been waiting in front of. 

She sits against the wall, knees huddled up to her chest, face hidden below her bangs. She’ll be here soon, surely, she will… The streets are completely dead now, save for a few late-night stragglers finishing work or folks headed home after a night out. She can hear footsteps crunching in the snow approaching her before stopping.

“Angela…”

That unmistakable, lovely accent.

Angela doesn't respond.

“I’m sorry, Angela. I didn’t mean to…I-” Her voice sounds tired but manages sincerity. “Come, I want to show you something, please."

She peers up from her knees to see Fareeha bundled up as much as she is looking back down at her, hand extended down to her, eyebrows knitted together in concern. Angela’s lips quirk into a soft smile up a her and Fareeha helps her to her feet.  
“Finally heed my warning about dressing warmer, hmm?”

And so they walk their usual route, a little later than usual, but still happy to be in each other’s company. 

\--  
The stopped at their lookout, Fareeha remained distant, focusing on something invisible over the familiar city-scape before them. 

“I’ve never told this to anyone. I… I was scared… You have expressed nothing but kindness and warmth towards me since meeting you... I was afraid you’d turn your back. You are my only friend in this world, Angela.” The anxiety in Fareeha’s voice, the noticeable fear and internal struggle going on within her became more and more apparent.

“Fareeha…” Angela whispers gently, reaching tentatively to place a hand on the woman’s now-trembling arm. 

“But… I should have told you earlier. Or shown you.” Fareeha murmurs, avoiding Angela’s eyes. 

“Show me what?” Silence stretches agonisingly slow between them. But Angela waits, giving Fareeha the time she needs to come to terms with… whatever it is she wants to say.

Fareeha sighs, and slips her beanie and scarf off, still avoiding Angela’s eyes. The wind rustles, jostling the gold beads in her hair. 

Angela can only watch silently, eyes wide as the Egyptian’s brown eyes morph into a honeyed amber and then to gold. Black hair billowing and spreading, developing and growing from her skin and a pair of black ears, perking up from a flattened state, pointed and strong atop her head. Nails extending into claws. Her body changes and morphs before Angela’s eyes. 

Angela doesn’t scream. She barely reacts beyond stunned silence at the humanoid jackal standing on two legs before her, sleek, tall -at least a foot taller than she was- and proud, fur as black as the night sky above, still dressed in Fareeha’s clothes. 

Golden eyes watch her carefully, silently pleading for Angela to say something, anything. Scream, shout, run. Any sort of reaction would be better than not having the slightest idea at what is running through the blonde’s brilliant mind. 

The beast sighs and speaks, hot breath misting in the air, muzzle somehow forming human language. “Angela…. What do I look like?”

\--

Angela learnt that werewolves transforming in the full moon and attacking people was just a legend, a story built of myth. Fareeha was, as best described by terminology, a shifter. A jackal, with the ability to freely transform between human and animal form at will. 

That night, a new window opens to a world of possibilities. Angela realizes that the world is full of incredible things she did not know anything about. And she plunges into it headfirst, her heart yearning for knowledge, to learn about these mysteries. As it always has. Her heart has never lead her astray, and she follows this pull and walks forward into this new world.  
Into Fareeha’s arms.


	3. Ignite

Fareeha, since returned to her human form, walks Angela home. The air is thick with something new, something different between them. Nothing is spoken of the revelation Fareeha presented.  
Sure, she hadn’t reacted as expected, there was no fear in Angela’s eyes, as far as Fareeha could distinguish. Confusion? Yes. Apprehension? Sure. But she was not afraid as she tentatively reached a hand forward, sliding into the soft fur of Fareeha’s cheek, thumb rubbing her muzzle. She felt the tension steadily deflate from the jackal as she leaned into the touch. 

Blue eyes gazed deep into gold.

_“Beautiful,” she’d murmured._

 

She waits quietly for Angela to unlock her door, as always, to make sure she gets inside safely. The blonde opens the door a fraction, back still turned to Fareeha. 

“Stay with me?”

Fareeha stops stock still. She had played a hundred different scenarios over in her mind of how this night would go. This certainly wasn’t one of them. “…I’m…Are you sure?” She fidgets a little with the zip of her jacket, looking down at the ground shyly. 

Angela turns to her and takes a step closer, extending a hand towards the taller woman’s face. She hesitates above the tattoo briefly, before running the tips of her fingers across the inked skin, threading them within black locks. 

The subconscious linger of nagging emotions bites at Fareeha’s heels, telling her to not get her hopes up, don’t get too close, Angela knows too much but damnit all… Her heart pines, it lurches with such unbridled delight when the blonde’s hands come to her face, when she speaks such kind words… Fareeha steps closer to Angela, strong hands finding their place on her hips, their bodies so intimately close, close enough to feel each other’s hot and nervous breaths, lips all but touching, waiting for that consensual line to be crossed. 

Giving Angela that chance to back out. 

“I’ve never been surer, Fareeha Amari.” She says as she closes the gap.

Now, Angela would be the first to admit to being a complete and utter drag when it comes to relationships. Amongst all her devotion to her studies, kissing boys and girls was just… The bottom rung of her priorities. She tried, she did, but it was dull, there was never the spark, the romance that you’d see in films, or read in one of her many books. She’d never truly understood what love felt like after years without a family or anyone to share this type of bond with.

They’d been playing the game of shy glances, lingering touches and sweet gestures far too long over the last few months to deny anything anymore. 

Fareeha was more than a spark, she was a sun. This is love. 

Her hands remain securely on Angela’s hips as she backs her into her apartment, lips never breaking contact. She kicks the door closed and fumbles for a moment for the light switch before moving back into Angela. Coats, scarves and layers of warmth are shrugged off one by one, leaving a wake behind them as they blindly fumble through the room, their attention solely on each other alone, on the feeling of lips and fingers exploring bodies for the first time.

She backs Angela against the wall, and they take a moment to breathe, to appreciate each other’s feel and presence, noses brush softly over cheeks and she nuzzles into the blonde’s neck, planting soft kisses along her racing pulse. Yet, rough hands are hesitant, remaining on Angela’s hips and they slow to a halt.

Angela, sensing the lingering hesitance, returns the nuzzle into Fareeha’s hair, inhaling the fresh earthy smells of pine mixed with her cologne. Her hands slip from her hair, the backs of her nails gliding along her cheek and neck and fall to her shoulders, trailing along her biceps, over old scars she’d never noticed and lower towards those shy hands and taking them in her own. 

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she felt a hot breath mumble into the crook of her neck. 

Angela lifts her head away from Fareeha’s and brings one of her hands back to up to cup her jaw and pry her away softly from her hiding place to look into her eyes. “You won’t, schatz. I know you won’t.” 

“Did I surprise you?” Fareeha asks softly. 

This time Angela hesitates, unsure how to answer. She nods. 

Fareeha swallows thickly, ignoring the brief pang in her heart. “Do you… not want to see me anymore after this?”

Angela shakes her head, with more conviction this time, still not trusting herself to speak. 

“But you’re shivering,” a tentative calloused hand cups her cheek so gently. “Are you not scared of what I am?” As if to push the point, brown eyes morph into gold and bore deep into Angela’s soul, as though she could see her thoughts if she searched hard enough in those blues.

Angela reaches out to bare bronzed skin, tracing one of the several scars littering her muscled torso.

“I’m not afraid, because it’s you, Fareeha.” She inhales deeply. “I love you.” Angela thinks she sees Fareeha’s lip tremble a fraction in the dim light before they lean in together, noses brushing with a soft nuzzle and sealing away any insecurities with a lasting kiss. 

The hands intertwined at her hip move together, gliding higher along her bare stomach and to her chest as they melt together in the searing kiss, this time with renewed certainty.  
\--

Fareeha drags the sheets up to cover Angela’s vulnerable frame and settles down beside her to face her angel. The latter’s eyes flutter open groggily, and find Fareeha’s before sliding closer and curling in to her chest. Fareeha drapes an arm over her waist and plants a kiss upon the blonde crown of hair. Together, they enjoy the blissful moment in each other’s arms. A layer of sweat remains on their skin, glowing in the shreds of moon and artificial light alike through the curtains, nothing else mattered in the world. Fareeha breathes a sigh and feels Angela’s arms tighten a little around her back, comfortingly.

“Angela?”

“Mmm?” A soft hot mumble against her chest.

Fareeha is quiet a moment longer, an internal struggle rages in her mind of the inevitable conversation on what exactly she had revealed this evening. 

Apparently, she hesitates a moment too long, when Angela pulls away to look at her.  
“What’s wrong?”

She props herself on an elbow to look at Fareeha properly.

“I love you too,” Fareeha whispers gently.

\--

Fareeha’s descendants were a rare breed of African Jackals that had gone extinct many years ago, she explains. Her clan hailing from Egypt. Her mother’s side of the family were jackal shifters, just like herself, and her father was human. Her species is a dying breed, hunted for centuries. She is one of the few left in this world. Thus her kind had been granted the potential to sire children, to pass on the abilities to future generations. Her father lives far overseas, and her mother was revealed to be missing after an incident, leaving Fareeha alone. 

She explains not of how the abilities to shapeshift came to be originally, for not even she knows the true reason why. Her Mother told her stories, and though there were many variants among her people, the gist of it was about how the great god Anubis bestowed the abilities on a warrior hailing from the Amari clan for bringing justice to the people in war. The Amari were known as a symbol of justice from then forth. 

She had been told about their ancestors’ history, of being hunted by heathens and non-believers to enemies and cretins that caught wind of what such a kill might earn in bounty. She was warned her about passing it on to the next generation. How she should never reveal her truth to anybody. Her upbringing had been hard. 

She’d dreamed of joining the military like her late mother until those plans went south. Once she was of age, she left Egypt to roam the world. She settled in Switzerland after taking a liking to the peaceful nature and wilderness it provided. Though she could not spend her entire life in the wild. She got a job and continued to hide her identity, trying to meld herself into a society she felt she could never truly belong amongst. She avoided attention, without friends or anyone that cared for her. 

Until Angela.

\--

Angela awakes in bed, naked, what little remained of her sheets were intertwined around bare legs. Ignoring the dull ache in her body, she rolls to see her alleged sheet thief, and drags herself upright to look down at a sleeping Fareeha, cocooned for warmth. The only signs of life were a soft snore accompanying the rise and fall of the sheets. Black hound’s ears relaxed and drooped from her head. She takes a moment to admire her sleeping burrito-like companion, at how unusually peaceful and relaxed she looks, and smiles to herself. 

_They were awake until the early hours of dawn, talking some, stealing kisses, some quick pecks, and some slow and passionate turning into more. They lay together, finally spent, limbs tangled and intertwined, allowing hands idly roam while they speak. Fareeha explained who she was and her story, taking all of Angela’s inquisitive questions in stride. It was the least she could do._

_When she shifts, she can take on a bipedal form like she had shown Angela, or a full jackal form, albeit a bit larger than a typical jackal.  
She reveals the fact that she can transform partly. It serves near no purpose, she admits, mildly. She’s able to enhance her sight, her smell is a thousand times better than any human’s, as is her hearing already. The physical changes were just in good fun, so Angela asks for a demonstration. _

_Fareeha rolls onto her stomach, folding her arms under the pillow and tilting her head to raise an eyebrow at Angela with a roguish smile, contemplating what to show her._

_“Close your eyes”_

_She does so._

_“Now touch my head” Fareeha’s voice coaxes._

_Exploring fingers feel through silky hair and move higher to a patch of softness, “Tha- no a bit high- oh, ahahaha.”_

_Angela’s eyes snap open at the new sensation, to see her finger tips grazing the short fur of a pair of black hound ears protruding from Fareeha’s head, Fareeha still side-eyeing her, recovering from her brief fit of giggles, a dull blush on her cheeks._

_“That actually feels really nice when another person does it.”_

A light mumble comes from beneath the sheets, breaking Angela's train of thought. Fareeha rolls over and mumbles once more something undecipherable in Arabic before settling back into a light snore. By now the sun was high enough to pattern the bed in stripes of light through her window blinds, but neither Angela or Fareeha seemed in any rush to be elsewhere. Gently tugging some of the sheets back over her bare figure, Angela settles back against the pillow, curling against her sleeping companion. A strong arm finds its way around her waist and holds her close once more as her eyes drift shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eyes.emoji  
> Getting gay in here
> 
> Thank you again, Lunari for beta'ing!


	4. Enta Omri

They become inseparable after that night, well, more than they usually were. Fareeha spends more time in Angela’s apartment than her own, sharing meals, sharing books, beds, skin. For what it was worth, they tried to take their time, and yet they were all too eager to be close.

They steal kisses like young teenagers in love, giggling and good natured, a peck on the lips before parting ways to work or school, behind the pages of a book in class, fingers intertwined below the desk, sometimes cheeky lips against a slender neck when one was feeling particularly bold. 

Fareeha had a penchant for being quite tactile. Always touching, always fidgeting, and Angela was never one to complain, putting the woman’s mind at ease that she was not being too physical. They’d learn each other’s boundaries respectfully. 

In the early hours of the morning, Angela busies herself at the kitchen counter with a fresh pot of coffee. She stands wearing only an oversized T-shirt, unknowingly donated by the previous owner, and panties, shapely and smooth legs bared to world. With the slow drip of filtering coffee and gentle humming, she barely hears the ceasing of the soft snoring behind her, followed by the rustling of sheets, before feeling a strong pair of arms around her waist. 

“That’s my shirt,” a husky sleep-tinged voice murmurs into her ear. 

Angela turns her head a little to meet half-lidded doe eyes, “Shall I take it off?”

“Mmmmh, I haven’t decided yet. Looks cute on you,” Fareeha mumbles, letting her eyes close, resting her weight a little more into Angela.

The blonde turns around in her arms, returning the embrace against a very shirtless Fareeha, nuzzling gently and coaxing a lazy kiss, hands moving across the firm muscular form of her back. The coffee sits, now forgotten. Fareeha rouses more as their lips move slowly together, deepening the kiss and punctuating it with a gentle nip on Angela’s bottom lip as her hands drop down to soft, pale thighs, hoisting her lover up onto the bench, smiling at the squeak of exclamation as she moves between her legs to kiss her once more. 

They spend many a morning like this, some more eventful than typical sleep-ins, should they have work or class off, or are granted a later start to their shifts.

Eventually they part reluctantly when Fareeha needs to shower before work and Angela returns to her now-cold coffee with shaky legs, new marks blooming across her neck and collarbone.  
She gets to keep the shirt.

 

Angela invites Fareeha to move in with her after several ‘sleepovers’. An easy enough task for the fact that Fareeha has hardly any possessions. 

Fareeha brings her a bouquet of flowers as part romantic gesture and thank you for her hospitality. 

Angela places them in a vase by the window. 

Fareeha shows her photos of her homeland, wonderous Pyramids of Giza, beacons in the vast desert. 

Angela puts one of the photos on the shelf by the vase, along with an old framed photo of her late family.

Together these photos remind them of happier memories in earlier years gone by, but the flowers ground them in the present, a beautiful reminder of what they share together now.

\--

Fareeha works late nights at times, sneaking inside quietly after shift to find Angela has already retired to bed. Sore and spent, she forces herself to shower after several hours of labour and lifting, hot water cascading blissfully over knotted, exhausted muscles. She changes into a loose tank top and boxer shorts and shuffles quietly into the bedroom.

“How was work?” A sleepy German accent mumbles from below the sheets.

“Ah, I’m sorry ya amar. Did I wake you?” She whispers, approaching the bed.

Angela rolls over to her side lifting the sheets for Fareeha to slide in beside her, draping an arm over her ribs. “I wasn’t asleep for long,” she murmurs, tracing old scars delicately. 

Fareeha shifts closer, nuzzling into Angela’s chest, planting a kiss, the sound of her heart beat lulling her already. “Sorry.”

“Shhhh…” Angela coos, bringing her hand between Fareeha’s shoulder blades and scratches softly, up and down, a newly discovered weakness, and feels her lover melt under her touch. 

\--  
With each passing day, their relationship blooms and flourishes into something wonderful shared between them. Angela notices Fareeha gradually become more and more comfortable, more so than when they first began spending time together, shedding her quiet, almost-stoic nature and opening up, chatting more, cracking puns and laughing, a deep roguish charm she’d always carried shines stronger and stronger. Almost as if the burden of hiding her truths had lifted from her shoulders, allowing her to live the life she had always craved and strived for, with no fear, for the first time in her life.

\--

With the school semester over, Angela works longer hours over the quickly-approaching Christmas season and, being the workaholic that she is, picks up a winter semester break course for some extra credit points.

Fareeha, on the other hand, is given some time off over Christmas. Although she offers to continue working, her company is closing for at least a week. She dedicates her spare time to helping cook meals in Angela’s apartment, together if they’re both home, or alone while Angela works the late nights so that she has a meal to return home to. 

Otherwise she spends the remainder of her time at the gym, jogging through the city, or running free through the outskirts in her shifted form, enjoying the peace and fresh air and the snow crunching below her paws as she pads through the trees and wilds. 

Typically, Fareeha makes a conscious attempt to keep her human and jackal life as separated as she can. For a long time, she thought she could ignore the other side of her. Live a normal human life. 

Her mother’s voice would always echo; _‘Habibti, this is who you are, it is in your blood as much as you are human and it is not something that you can repress. Stay true to yourself, always, Fareeha. You are an Amari.’_

Her instincts scream, they crave and desire to run free. Through vast fields, rocky wilderness, thick forest. She feels invincible in the wilds, like the world is her oyster and she can just run. 

 

“If you’re out all day, surely you must get hungry. Do you hunt?” Angela asked one day.

“I do,” Fareeha confirms and Angela wrinkles her nose at the thought of her preying on animals.

“I’ll spare you the details,” she chuckles, “but yes, I do. Nothing big or dangerous, do not worry.” When in her full jackal form, Fareeha stands at about sixty-centimetres tall, taller than the average jackal by a long shot. Long, lean legs, built for agility, to be able to leap and pounce upon unsuspecting smaller prey from above.

She’ll leave for the day, rising with the sun first thing in the morning. She’ll brews a pot of coffee for Angela, knowing the slumbering blonde won’t emerge for a few more hours if she doesn’t have work or class to attend.  
Sometimes, she’ll undress in the apartment if she knows Angela will be home in the evening when she returns, otherwise she wanders to the outskirts of town, away from prying eyes to shed her clothes and hide them in the shrubbery before shifting and heading out.

She’ll make sure to be home by sundown, so that she and Angela can spend time together. Be it having dinner in the apartment and relaxing together or taking a stroll in the neighbourhood or through the park. She makes sure to pry Angela away from her work, even if only for an hour or two if she knows the blonde has been buried in her studies all day – Despite the occasional insistent protest that she must keep working. 

At times, Fareeha will come home to Angela slumped over her desk, fast asleep, reading glasses slipping down her nose after a long stint of study. She takes a moment to stop and appreciate the sight of the sleeping angel, wondering how many nights Angela had spent passed out at her desk before they got together. 

Angela had once confessed that she pressures herself to work a lot harder because of her scholarship, to maintain her “worthiness,” as she put it. With a soft chuckle at the thought, Fareeha reaches to switch off the desk lamp and slips an arm behind Angela’s back and below her knees, lifting her gently from her chair to carry her to bed.

\--

Angela is at her desk revising her thesis once more when she hears scratching at the door.  
A snow-dusted jackal sits panting on her doorstep when she opens the door, brown eyes peering up at her.

“Wipe your paws before you come inside, Fareeha. They’re soaked!”

The jackal huffs a small cloud of mist from her snout, shaking the snow from her fur, and stepping into the apartment and onto the mat as Angela shuts the door behind her. 

Gradually, the furry form grows and morphs, muscles rippling and bones creaking slightly below receding fur, into now-familiar bronzed skin. A very naked Fareeha stands at her full height, grinning down at Angela, who’s face burns crimson, struggling to look anywhere but the bare toned form in front of her. 

“Welcome home, schatz,” she smiles shyly and stands on her tip-toes to plant a kiss on Fareeha’s cheek.

The Egyptian beams and returns the kiss to her temple, wrapping arms around her lower ba- “FAREEHA,” Angela squeals, trying to pry herself away, “YOUR HANDS! YOUR HANDS ARE ICE COLD.” Arms tighten around her squirming form as a breathy chuckle ghosts her temple. 

“But you’re so warm, ya hayati.”

“NO, LET GO.”

“If you insist.” Frozen fingers dance along her back around to her ribs, tickling them and revelling in the breathless delighted squeals of laughter coming from Angela. She pulls her in closer to meet each other’s lips, melting their bodies against one another in a thawing kiss, inhaling one another’s scent. Fareeha smells of earth and fresh wild grass, muddied by new snowfall. 

Fareeha is the first to break the kiss, nuzzling and brushing their noses together, “I need to shower… Join me?” 

A soft pair of hands creep down her back and land on her backside, a gentle cheeky squeeze is her response. 

And that’s all the confirmation she needs when she sweeps a giggling Angela into a bridal carry, making a beeline for her bathroom.  
\--

Fareeha enquires about the type of music Angela likes to listen to out of the blue one day.  
“Me? Mmm… I suppose I enjoy a mixture of things. If it has a nice melody, or nice lyrics, or a nice voice I suppose. Especially when I’m studying.” Fareeha hums in acknowledgement. 

 

The next time they meet at the café, Angela catches sight of something large strapped to Fareeha’s back – A guitar case, and a lopsided smile plastered on her face along with it. 

“I didn’t know you could play!” Angela shoves her lover good naturedly as they stroll through their familiar route. Fareeha chuckles, a warm rasp that Angela finds herself adoring whenever she can coax one out of her. 

“My Mother’s coworker, my hero, he was a big fan of all the classics. And when he’d spend days babysitting me, he’d let me choose a CD to listen to and we’d play air guitar together.” She smiles fondly at the memory. “He gave me a guitar for my fifthteenth birthday and taught me how to play so we’d have the real thing to play on our days spent together. I left it behind when I moved away from Egypt, unfortunately. But bought a new one here once I was here earning money. I thought you maybe would like to hear some?” She glances sideward to Angela.

“Absolutely! Oh of course I’d love to hear some!”

They find a bench in a quiet area of the park. Save for the odd passer-byer, it was empty.  
They sit together, Fareeha nervously tuning her guitar, Angela practically about to combust with quiet excitement. 

“Uhm… This song is a very famous old Egyptian song called Enta Omri,” Fareeha explains, positioning fingers along chords and test strumming a few strings. “Which basically translates to ‘You are my life.’” She glances up to Angela, who looks down, struck with a sudden fixation on the hem of her sweater, cheeks burning.

And then she plays, calloused fingers dance and strum over cords in rhythmic perfection, playing a gentle acoustic melody. Brown eyes follow her own hand movements, but they’re focused on something far away, reliving old memories sparked by the tune. She inhales through her nose, and she sings.

_Ragaa'ouni a'einaik el Ayam illi rahou_  
_A'alamouni andam a'ala El-Madhi wi gerahou_  
_Illi shouftouh kabli ma tshoufak a'inaih_  
_Omri dhayea' yehsibouh izay a'alaya?_

Angela’s heart flutters, the entire world around them ceases to exist as she listens to Fareeha sing.  
Sweet, richly accented Arabic lyrics dance off her tongue. Only after she finishes singing does Angela ask the meaning of the lyrics, and so Fareeha graciously translates for her.

_You are my life whose morning began with your light_  
_How much of my life before you has passed and gone by_  
_My darling, how much of my life has gone_  
_My heart never experienced one bit of joy before you_  
_And had never tasted in this world anything but the flavor of injury_  
_I've now just begun to love my life_  
_I've now begun to fear for the passing of my lifetime_  
_Every joy that I longed for before you was fantasy_  
_My heart and mind meet find it in the light of your eyes_  
_Oh life of my heart, oh you who is more precious than my life_

She sets her guitar down on her lap and sidles closer to Angela, reaching to tuck loose golden bangs away from her eyes, leaning in to meet her lips tenderly.

_Why didn't I meet your love, my darling, sooner?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These baby gays ;3 Rotting my teeth
> 
> SO, I had planned on making a posting schedule - since this fic will be around 20 chapters long and i have 3/4 of it already written BUT I think ima stick to staggered posting (so you guys get that little ! moment when its updated). Fret not, I won't keep you waiting too long between chapters
> 
> \-- 
> 
> Enta Omri (You are my life) is by Oum/Umm Kalthoum, a renown Egyptian singer/songwriter  
> I couldn't think of better lyrics to describe Fareeha's feelings towards Angela
> 
> https://lyricstranslate.com/en/Inta-omry-You-are-My-Life.html  
> Extended lyrics here!


	5. Gift

Angela’s café is closed on Christmas day. Without family to spend it with, they celebrate together, enjoying the morning together in each other’s embrace under the warm blankets, cooking a hearty roasted meal, opening gifts from one another, and retreating to the couch to watch lame movies in each other’s arms.

Angela gives Fareeha the lamest, puniest Christmas sweater she can find – A red and white print of Santa Clause dabbing with the text “Dabbing through the snow.”

Fareeha holds it in the air to inspect it, and glances at her, eyebrow raised. “Angela, I… I love it,” and slips it on without a moment’s hesitation, puffing her chest proudly at her partner’s enamoured giggling.

Angela admits that isn’t the real gift and presents her with another wrapped box. She opens it to find a brand-new watch, ticking away rhythmically inside. 

“Swiss of course,” the blonde winks. She buckles it onto Fareeha’s wrist, reminding her not to wear it when she’s out in the wilds and Fareeha holds it out, appreciating the sleek black and gold design 

“I love it, habibti, both gifts. Thank you,” and leans in to peck her on the lips. “It’s been… years since I’ve spent any kind of celebration or holiday with anybody.” Fareeha sits back on the lounge and reaches for a box in her pocket. She fiddles with it nervously. 

They both fall silent, the atmosphere falling sombre suddenly. Fareeha opens and closes her mouth a few times, unable to formulate what it is she wanted to say.

“In... just these few short months, you’ve shown me more love and kindness than I think I’ve ever received in a very long time… Not only that, but you accepted my identity without hesitation. I don’t know how I got so lucky to deserve you, Angela... I’m glad you chased me down after that class.”

Fareeha presents the box to Angela, holding her breath as the blonde opens the box to reveal a simple silver-banded ring nestled in navy blue velvet. Angela gasps and lifts a hand to cover her mouth, voice refusing to cooperate. “Faree… it’s…”

“It’s a promise ring,” she reaches forward and takes the slender hand away from Angela’s mouth, entwining their fingers, turning to look her in the eyes.

“I love you, and this ring is a promise that I will be by your side, to support you in everything that you do, committed and faithful, through sickness and in health. And maybe one day, when the time comes, when you’ve become the doctor you’ve dreamed of becoming, or perhaps we start a family… I… would like to replace that ring with an engagement ring… If you want, I mean, I understand if maybe… you…” 

Her mind catches up with her mouth and she realise she’s oversharing, franticly thinking of ways to backpedal, but her eyes are held firmly by Angela’s, and she realises there are tears welling within. “Ya amar, I’m sorry, I said too much, I-“

“Fareehali.”

Angela leans back, releasing her hand only to wipe at the newly-formed tears and sniffles.  
Instead she offers the box to Fareeha, and raises her right hand.

“Fareeha Amari, I would love nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you,” another sniffle and tears begin to trail down pale cheeks. “Ich hàb lieb fir dich, herzli.”

Barely able to contain her grin, Angela’s favourite sight in the whole world, Fareeha removes the ring from it’s velvet cushion and holds it close to Angela, revealing a small engraving inside the band of the ring. 

تَعَهُّد 

_Pledge. Promise._

She slips it onto the offered finger of Angela’s left hand, both women no longer able to hold the tears of joy and laughter back as they jump into each other’s embrace on the couch, the blonde peppering her lover’s face with kisses and sweet nothings in German before meeting each other’s lips.

“Merry Christmas, habibti.”

“Merry Christmas, schatz. I’m looking forward to what the new year will bring.”

\--

And the new year rolls around fast.

Angela is folding clothes when she feels it for the first time. The overwhelming churn of her stomach sends her rushing to the bathroom to empty its contents.

Her cycle is late.

It’s been almost a month since the night Fareeha had told her the truth. Almost a month since they made love for the first time. 

And that little red cross confirms her suspicions. 

She slumps against the cool white tiles of her bathroom wall numbly, running a hand over her still-flat abdomen as the floodgates of a million thoughts and questions strike her. 

_She’s pregnant._  
_She’s gonna be a mother._  
_It was so soon!_  
_Was she ready to be a mother?_  
_Sure, this is what her and Fareeha wanted, but so soon?_  
_Oh God, what will Fareeha say?_  
_Will she have to drop her studies?_  
_Is her apartment big enough for a baby?_

_What if… what if…_

_What if they’re born part jackal like Fareeha._

\--

And so she throws herself headfirst into her studies, her way of coping was always to keep her mind occupied with reading. On her routine visit to the library, she rents pregnancy and maternity books along with her usual medical books and studies them when Fareeha isn’t home. 

And Fareeha senses the heaviness weighing on Angela. A simple “I think I’ve come down with a bug. I’ll be okay,” is the best she can coax from her when she tries to breach the subject so lets it be.

She wakes to the sound of Angela’s groaning and laboured breathing echoing from the bathroom and shuffles in with a glass of water and towel to clean her lover off when she was finished retching, holding blonde hair away and rubbing her back soothingly in the meantime. 

 

Until the day comes when the weight of the secret becomes too heavy, when her boss sends her home early on account of her “stomach bug.”

Standing outside their old meeting place outside the café, she tugs her coat collar higher against her neck for warmth and pulls her phone out to dial Fareeha’s number. Her thumb hesitates over the green call symbol. She exhales a breath of hot mist and makes the call. The painful suspense and waiting as the dial tone drones is enough to make her almost want to hang u-

“Ya amar?,” her beautifully accented voice comes through, tinged with curious concern. “I thought you were at work. Are you still not well?”

Silence.

“Angela?”

“Fareeha…”

“Angela, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

She chews her bottom lip, willing the words to just come out.

“I need to tell you something.”

\--

She waits all of twenty minutes when she catches sight of her sprinting up the street dodging and weaving amongst people, golden hair beads glinting wildly in the winter sun.  
She hardly has time to react when Fareeha plows into her, picking her up and spinning her in a crushing bear hug, both breathlessly laughing and overjoyed at the news.

“You’re-“

“We’re going to be mamas!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The magic of supernatural au's eyes.emoji
> 
> A very short chapter, sorry! A filler chapter of sorts before we progress with the next part of plot


	6. As a family

Life goes on as normally as it can while dating a supernatural human over the months. They continue working, Angela continues her studies for one final semester before she plans to take a deferral maternity leave mid-year. 

In the meantime, the morning sickness still plagues her. Fareeha awakes to the sound of heaving beside her and rolls over to see Angela leaning over the side of the bed, retching into the emergency trash can on the floor and reaches to rub steady circles over her lover’s back. 

They bask in the peaceful moments where they can spend their time in bed together. Fareeha holding Angela from behind, calloused hands resting on the blonde’s newly formed baby bump swelling over her stomach. 

“She’s got a strong heartbeat,” she’ll murmur into Angela’s shoulder.

“She?” Angela rolls over onto her back still encircled in the embrace, bare stomach showing, and joins Fareeha’s hand over the bump. Fareeha shrugs and kisses her lover’s temple. 

“I can’t wait to meet you, little one.”

\--

Angela notices the maternal instinct shine more and more within Fareeha with each passing day. The insatiable urge to take care of and nourish her lover and her baby. When she leaves for her run, she’ll usually go hunting, despite having a grocery store so close to home. 

And she knows this. 

It fills her with a primal sense of fulfilment when she can return home in the evening, to see Angela sitting up in her bed to greet her, to see her face when Fareeha steps into the house with a triumphant grin, feathers sticking out from her hair as she holds up a reasonably sized dead pheasant. 

And Fareeha cooks it for her, assuring her it’ll taste fine, preparing a roast meal and saving the leftovers to make soup the following night. Angela slips on a jacket over her pyjamas and shuffles over to the table to take a seat and watch Fareeha fuss about in the kitchen preparing their dinner. 

Her mouth waters when the plate is presented to her, roasted vegetables and meat topped with various herbs. Fareeha takes a seat opposite to her with her own plate, smiling fondly at Angela as she excitedly wolfs down the meal, no doubt gracing her stomach something tastier than the bland and boring foods she had been consuming to keep her stomach at ease.

\-- 

Angela’s leave arrives before she knows it, as spring rolls past in a flash. She remains at home for most of her days, whilst Fareeha picks up extra work to compensate. They try to fit at least a walk or two in a week, taking up their favourite park route, hand in hand just to get Angela out of the apartment to do something that isn’t shopping or light errands.

And suddenly summer is edging around the corner, temperatures climb as does the size of Angela’s baby bump. Summer showers sprinkle over the city, keeping her indoors. She sits propped up in a bean bag with legs outstretched, a heater at the end keeping her feet warm. 

A small basket of knitting and crocheting supplies, something Angela hadn’t touched in years, sits beside her as she weaves the needle and thread through fabric, stitching a button onto the face of a small plush jackal she’d be spending her free time on crafting for her baby.

Fresh summer flowers sit on the bookshelf with hers and Fareeha’s photos beside the vase as usual. She glances at her photograph, of the six-year-old Angela held between her beloved Mother and Father grinning at the camera. And her heart squeezes at the thought. Of how she wishes they could be here to meet their first grandson or granddaughter. To meet Fareeha… 

 

When the cabin fever gets to be too much, Angela takes the bus to her local library, taking a seat beside another woman who congratulates her quietly on her bundle of joy on the way.  
Flustered, she utters out a shy thank you, hand instinctively coming to rest over the bump.

Fareeha is home from work and starting dinner by the time she arrives back at the apartment, canvas bag filled and hanging from her shoulder. 

“Welcome home, ya amar” she looks up from the pan over the oven, smiling at Angela before noticing the heavy bag she had been lugging. Angela dismisses her concerns before she had the chance to voice them, pulling out a chair and taking a seat at the dining table to pull out her loot. 

Fareeha turns her attention back to the meal, “More medical books?”

“Baby books, actually. Parenting stuff too and… I guess this is silly, but a book on raising wolves and wild dogs.” 

That earnt back Fareeha’s inquisitive look again, raising an eyebrow with a ghost of a smirk forming on her lips.

“That is- I mean- I… I don’t know. I feel like I should know more… about… I don’t know, your species? Uh... and such,” she gestures wildly. ”I know you know, but I want to be ready too. To know more about your world. Especially if our little one can shapeshift like you ca—”

“Angela,” Fareeha sighs light-heartedly, turning the oven to a lower heat so that she could step away. “Have I ever told you what a wonderful woman you are to me? It thrills me more than anything to know how much you care about all of this,” she gestures to the pile of books before them before reaching to tuck blonde bangs away from her lover’s eyes, threading both hands through her hair on the sides of her head, and leaning to plant a kiss on her the top of her head. Angela swivels in her chair to wrap her arms around Fareeha’s midsection, and they stay like this, quietly for a few moments.

“Ever the sweet talker, aren’t you,” a mumble comes from against Fareeha’s chest.

“I mean every word. And besides, I’m quite interested in reading all of this too. Now, are you hungry? I’m making koushari.”

“Starving,” another mumble. A pause.

“You’ll have to let go of me, Angela.”

Another pause. “A bit longer, please.”  
She feels the soft tickle of Fareeha’s breath on her head when she chuckles.

“Dinner might burn, I’m afraid. I’ll pay you and baby back in double after, okay? Go take a shower and put something comfy on while you wait. This will be another half hour.”

“Okay,” she relents with a pout, releasing her girlfriend to continue her cooking.

\--

Angela glances at her phone; **11:17pm**

She hasn’t come home yet.

Though Fareeha carried no means of telling time, instinct and attention on the sun usually kept her from returning too late in the evening. Angela so desperately doesn’t want to be the hovering girlfriend, but she can’t help but worry a little… Fareeha is never this late to come home, always at least trying to be back by dinner time. 

She rolls over in the sheets, reaching for her phone, her lock screen is a photo of the two of them. A selfie of Angela beaming at the camera with Fareeha hugging her from behind, chin resting on the blonde’s shoulder with her signature lopsided smile. She taps Fareeha’s number in and hits dial, waiting silently. The dial tone drones repetitively for some time. Until she realizes she can hear a faint vibration… coming from Fareeha’s night stand on the other side of the bed… _Verdamnt._

 _“You have reached the inbox of_ ‘Wh- Oh, Fareeha,’ came that beautiful familiar accent mixed within the automated answering message, _“please leave a message after the tone”_ Beep.

Sighing in defeat, Angela has to let it be. Against her better judgement, she leaves the outdoor light on and keeps the front door unlocked should Fareeha come home tonight before moving back to bed and getting settled for what will probably be a restless night. She feels the baby wriggle a little within her, restlessly. "She'll be home soon, little one." 

 

**1:43 am**

Angela’s eyes snap open to the sound of the front door creaking open and laboured breathing, a large, furry silhouette lumbering inside with tired huffs and soft weakened whines emanating from her throat. 

She bolts upright in bed and flicks on the light to reveal her partner, in her bipedal jackal form shutting the door with her free hand, the other clasped over her neck as she limps into the living area, and drops to her knees with a grunt, and Angela’s blood runs cold. 

She’s hurt. 

“Fareeha! What happened?” She gasps, throwing back the sheets and moving beside Fareeha on the floor, the Egyptian groaning on her side as her shape recedes and changes into her human self. 

“Wolves,” she croaks, still trying to control her breathing.

Angela’s medical intuition kicks in as she assesses Fareeha’s injuries. Numerous angry red cuts and scratches stretch along her torso, resembling that of animal claws. Bleeding marks on her arms and legs that appear to be bite wounds. Trembling hands come to Fareeha’s neck, placing them over the other woman’s bloodied hands.

“Need to… stop the bleeding,” Fareeha huffs. 

“Right of course, I’ll be back! Just keep your eyes open for me schatz, don’t sleep yet okay?”

“Mmhm”

Jogging to the bathroom, Angela takes an armful of towels and a spare sheet to drape over Fareeha’s bare form. She stops by the kitchen to fetch a bowl of water and her first aid kit before moving back to Fareeha’ prone form on the floor. 

“Here,” she hands her one of the towels, “hold this on your ribs for me, dear. I need to take your hand away from your neck, Fareeha, I’ll stem the bleeding and clean it, okay? Just try and stop the bleeding on your other wounds for me.”

Fareeha forces a wry smile up at Angela. “Yes, Doctor Ziegler.”

Angela can only snort and poke her tongue out in response before setting to work. 

 

**3:07 am**

An hour.

It took her an hour to properly stop the bleeding, clean and disinfect every wound and dress them.  
Fareeha is near asleep, but conscious enough to move to the bed with Angela’s help, diligently sliding under the covers with a wince and sigh. 

Angela finally climbs into bed, finally caving after making double sure, triple sure, that Fareeha didn’t need anything. “Did anyone see you? Coming home?”

“I hope not,” Fareeha sighs. “As delirious with exhaustion and pain as I was, I tried to stay out of sight. But the streets were empty this late at night, as far as I could tell.”

Angela hums and rolls to her side, adjusting herself carefully as to not accidentally bump Fareeha with her swollen stomach, blue eyes fall to the gauze around Fareeha’s neck. “So, what happened?”

“I overstepped my territory boundaries it seems… I knew wolves inhabited these wilds, but I’d never before seen them here. They’re considered pests here, no?”

“Yes… They prey on farmers livestock.”

“Mmhm… The pack sought me out. I was out-numbered and overpowered easily until I changed into a larger form to fight back. By the time they backed off, the sun was almost set. I was so far out from town as well, exhausted, bleeding…” Fareeha sighs, turning her head to look at Angela, wincing at the pain in her neck, her heart clenches at the sight of her lover’s face now with fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry habibti, I’m sorry I scared you.”

“It’s okay. You’re okay. Just…” she hesitates, her hand resting over her stomach, “please be careful, alright? You have a family waiting for you to come home now.” She punctuates her words with a sniffle and leans and kisses Fareeha’s shoulder, “Promise you’ll stay clear of farm land as well? If they see you…”

Fareeha’s heart pangs again, suddenly understanding the fear Angela was feeling. “I will. I promise, I will.”

“I love you, so much.” Angela meets her lips.

“I love you too. Thank you for saving me, Doctor Ziegler.”

“Oh hush. Get some rest.” She feels Fareeha smile into the kiss.

\--

When Angela first awakes the next morning, eyes bleary and grainy from the tears shed last night, she turns to check on Fareeha, who appears to be sleeping blissfully, mouth wide open and snoring gently. Red splotches have blossomed along the bandages, and she makes a mental note to stop into the pharmacy to pick up extra medical supplies.

She shuffles over to the kitchen to prepare a fresh pot of coffee for herself and breakfast for Fareeha, rummaging through wooden cupboards to find what was left of her medical supplies.

Moving to Fareeha’s side of the bed, she sits on the edge and sets the glass and plate down on the bedside table with two pain killers.  
Brushing loose strands of black hair from the woman’s eyes, Angela leans down and plants a kiss on her forehead, murmuring softly, “Lieb… Fareeha, I need to change your dressings,”

“Mmmhm… Nhh…”

“Good morning, my love,” she coos, kissing her again as heavy eyes drift open.

“Morning,” a half-asleep Fareeha lifts a bandaged arm to lay across Angela’s lap, thumb caressing bare skin of her legs. “S’tired,” she says meekly. 

“I know, you lost a lot of blood last night. Allow me to just clean your wounds once again and change your bandages and you can sleep once more, okay?”

“Mhmm,” comes a groggy reply as Fareeha slowly wakes herself.

Angela helps Fareeha roll onto a side position to access the bite wound on her neck, diligently cutting off the old dressing and applying disinfectant to the bloodied marks, apologising with every wince, twitch and pained hiss coming with each press or swipe of a cloth. 

 

Now propped against the pillows, Fareeha quietly nibbles her toast, watching Angela work with quiet fascination.

“You’re going to be an incredible doctor, Angela, do you know that?” The words tumble out before she realises she’s saying them.Angela halts her ministrations on Fareeha’s wrist, holding her hand gently and looks up at her. 

“I mean it. You are so kind, patient and dedicated. Brilliant, intellige-“

“Fareehaaa,” she whines, failing to hide a shy smile, the blush evidently blossoming over her features. “I think these pain killers are too strong for you,” she mumbles.

Calloused fingers squeeze Angela’s hand as she lifts them towards her, dropping a quick kiss on her knuckles and winking, “it’s not the pain killers talking. I mean it, ya amar. A great doctor and a great mother.” She sits back against the pillows with a sigh, inspecting the bandages. “Looks like some more scars to add to the collection.”

Angela resumes her work, trimming the bandage and securing it to her forearm before moving to the next, eyes subconsciously roaming the few pre-existing scars from the past, some jagged, healed poorly, some smoothed over, varying colours of light and dark, smooth or ropey, ranging over her arms, legs, torso, and soon-to-be, neck. 

_‘If she’s been alone for as long as she has… she had no one with her, to look out for her or help her when she was hurt. I see no suture scars, it looks like many of these healed hardly treated. Such suffering…’_ The thought sobers Angela.

“You don’t have work today?” Fareeha’s voice breaks her reverie.

Angela secures the last of the bandages off, moving the medical supplies off the bed and to the table “I took it off to look after you, silly. Shuffle over?” She climbs back under the warmth of the sheets beside Fareeha. “I think we could both use a bit of a lie in too, no?”

Fareeha lays on her back with an arm extended, inviting Angela to lay beside her.  
Cosy once again, against each other, separated only by the swell of Angela’s rounded stomach. Angela quietly caresses soft skin, her thoughts drifting along with the summer sun slowly filtering through their window blinds. 

“How did you get these, Fareeha?” when a finger comes to a halt over a jagged line marring her skin.

“That one? Mmmm… That one was when I fell. I was traveling along a mountainside, rocks were loose, and I took a tumble. I hit my head too, but you can’t see the scar from that… Actually, a lot of my injuries were kind of my fault, not taking care in my travels,” she grins sheepishly. “The one on my shoulder were from poorly-healed scratch marks, from another animal who had beef with me too.”

Angela clicks her tongue and sighs good naturedly, letting her exploring fingers fall to Fareeha’s midsection, settling against her once again as their late night catches up to them, as they both drift off to sleep in each other’s arms. 

\--

Fresh green leaves wither into bronze and rusted colours once again.

A cold nip in the air skirts with the breeze whistling throughout dying leaves in the night.

Carried with the sound is the wail of a baby. 

A healthy baby girl, nestled in between her mothers. 

Adelah was born in Angela’s apartment, on a late autumn evening, with Fareeha supporting her through the entire ordeal as there were no doctors or nurses involved. They were worried of what would happen had the baby been born looking… different. 

The baby lay curled, well-fed and swaddled in blankets, grunting and snuffling softly in her sleep. Her tiny hand clasped around one of Fareeha’s fingers.

Adelah’s skin was dark, though lighter than Fareeha’s. A small mop of messy brown curls upon her head.

Angela lay sweaty and exhausted, face still flushed and plastered with loose strands of blonde, one finger lightly caressing Adelah’s hair, the other hand intertwined with Fareeha’s free hand.

“She’s so beautiful,” Angela breathes. 

“She’s perfect,” Fareeha echoes, neither able to pry their eyes away from their little one between them.

“I’m so glad she’s healthy. I wonder if…” 

Fareeha smiles and sighs, “I guess we will wait and see what the future brings.” 

“Do you think she’ll be a good girl?” Angela muses.

“She might be a smart girl, like you,” she glances back up at Angela. 

“Or strong, like you,” she smiles back.

“What do you think she’ll do when she’s all grown up?”

“Maybe a nurse, maybe a teacher, or a baker. She can choose any path she likes.”

“I just want her to be happy and healthy and avoid getting any grief.”

Fareeha shuffles down the bed to lay a little closer to Adelah and murmurs, “Ya hayati… No matter what path you take in life, promise me you will stay true to yourself. We’re here for you, no matter what. We’ll be watching over you.” As if in acknowledgement, Adelah snuffles and yawns, scrunching her eyes, squeezing her mother’s finger.

“As a family,” Angela chimes in.

“As a family,” Fareeha echoes and kisses her lover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaaaand here's baby Adelah!  
> Ade is actually an original character, and Pharmercy daughter, from SpacialHeather's own AU, and she so wonderfully let me write her into the story :) I hope I've done her justice (haha) and written her well! 
> 
> Koushari - A very traditional and popular Egyptian dish you'll see in virtually every Egyptian household, restaurant, street vendor, you name it. A mixture of lentils, macaroni pasta, rice and served with special tomato sauce mixed with middle eastern spices, garbanzo bean, fried onion and sometimes hummus.


	7. Motherhood

Almost with mechanically perfect timing, Adelah’s sleepy grumbling heightens into a keening wail in the late hours of the evening rousing her mothers, once again. Angela groans and automatically rolls over, sliding out of the bed before her mind fully awakens, moving to the small crib across the single-roomed apartment and peering at the wriggling infant inside. 

Hushing comforting words and cooing to her little one, Angela reaches to pick her up and cradle in her arms, gently rocking and bouncing to calm Ade even a little. She squirms and twists in her mother’s arms, turning her head towards her chest, tiny hands clench and unclench. _‘Ah, hungry,’_ Angela confirms when she lifts the hem of her shirt allowing Ade to feed, and her whimpers die down immediately.

“She okay?” Comes a sleep-tinged voice from the sheets behind her. 

“Just hungry,” Angela whispers back. 

A nightly ritual is formed where Adelah wakes up every few hours, loudly informing her mothers that it’s time to eat again. Luckily, once satisfied, she sleeps again easily leaving Angela half asleep to slide back under the covers to catch a few more hours of shut-eye. 

Fareeha holds the sheets up for her girlfriend, allowing Angela to slip in and press herself against her lover, resting her head on her chest, eyes already drooping. 

“She eats like an absolute demon,” Angela sighs. 

Fareeha’s chest rumbles with a short huff of laughter, “I think she gets that from me, sorry. Ever the big eater I was, as a kid. She’s gonna grow big and strong, I know it.” 

“I still wonder if she truly will take after you,” Angela wonders aloud. And they both know what she means by this. “How was your upbringing? I mean, like, how did you grow up around average human beings.”

“Mother made me promise to keep my identity a secret, always,” Fareeha explained.  
“Because people fear what they do not understand. There were incidents in the past, many years ago, people hunting my family down. Torches and swords, shoutings of ‘monster! Beast! Cursed!’

“We lived as secluded as we could. Until I begged my mother to let me go to school with the other children and she reluctantly obliged for the fact that I needed something more grounding in my childhood, a chance to learn and make friends and be social and such.  
Since we travelled a lot for her work, I would only have a limited time in schools before packing up and moving on.

“I was quiet, never much good at making friends, so the goodbyes were never difficult, sure.  
Keep a distance and you won’t have to worry about them finding out. I was almost thirteen when I got into a fight with an older boy. He was picking on another student, him and his buddies. I didn’t know the student he was tormenting but I couldn’t let him get away with it and stepped up. I threw the first punch and it escalated.”

Fareeha’s eyes are focused on something invisible in the distance, reliving the memories as she tells them.

“I remember it so vividly, how furious I was. The adrenaline coursing through me as we traded blows as the other kids gathered around chanting and shouting. I remember the fight going to the ground, when he landed a punch on my jaw and I returned the favour with a headbutt. I landed on top of him and pinned his arms beside his head, glaring down at him. 

“All his bravado evaporated immediately… And then he cried, in fear, trying to get away from me. A teacher had dragged me off him while another helped him to his feet. He pointed at me and he shouts ‘her eyes turned yellow! They were yellow! Monster!”

Fareeha snaps back into the present when a cool hand cups her cheek, turning her attention on Angela. She realises how tense her face had become when it relaxes under her lover’s touch, and she looks into Angela’s forlorn eyes. “I’m sorry… This probably isn’t the story you were looking to hear from me…”

“No, no you’re fine, I’d like to hear more if you’d be willing to tell me,” Angela prompts, circling her arms around the other woman. 

“Mmm… there’s not much to tell after that. Mother was livid when she found out what I did. We were fortunate enough that only the boy saw my brief change in appearance, and nobody believed him. I was pulled out of school instantly, only to be home-schooled on base from then on…Was there anything in particular you wanted to know about?”

“Did your Mother teach you how to be jackal? Like… shapeshifting… uh, hunting and such… It sounds to me that’s a special kind of bond no other person can understand.”

“Oh, yes, I suppose… I guess I don’t fully know what it was like to grow up like a normal human? This was normal for me. Once I figured out how to shift, she taught me how to hone and control it, taught me the way of that life. We’d spend weekends away from civilisation, running free in the wilds, learning how to be. But sadly, in a world where we are such a rare kind… We can only keep this life between the two of us, my Father and some of her closest work friends. That’s just how it was, and I think always will be.”

She pauses as Angela mulls over her words quietly before adding, “But I also think that it will be different, better for us. We’re a family, we have stability,” she affirms, pressing a tender kiss to her lover’s temple.

\--

The two grow into their parental rolls, learning new things every day, the good and the bad that comes with it. Angela takes to it like a natural, while Fareeha is a little more hesitant to participate as much as she wants to, griping with the internal anxieties of never handling a baby in her life.

Angela, to put it gently, looked exhausted, almost dishevelled from her severely broken sleep to the point where Fareeha was getting worried. She’d help with everything humanly possible to help alleviate things, but when Adelah was hungry, which, unfortunately, is all too common, there was only one person who could take care of that. 

And when Fareeha stepped through the front door, a bag of infant formula in hand, Angela could have sworn the heavens had opened and presented her with a glowing angel… Well, the sun shining behind her lover kicking off her shoes beside the open door before stepping inside was close enough. 

 

With some research, they found that there were a number of infant formulas nutritious enough to replace breast milk. Ade seemed to have no gripes with the transition, suckling hungrily on her bottle, warm milk dribbling down her chubby cheeks and chin, much to her mothers’ relief. Especially Angela’s. She celebrated by passing out in her bed for a solid several hours of sleep, reassured by Fareeha that she’d take care of things, now seemingly more comfortable handling her daughter.

\--

The first time she’d ever held Adelah was when Angela passed her to her, not taking no for an answer.

“But what if she cries? Or what if I drop her? I don’t wa-- Ah, Angela.”

“Shhhh, just fold your arms like I am,” she insisted, already passing Ade to her other mama.  
Fareeha sat rigid with the tiny bundle in her strong arms, unsure of what to do next, wide curious brown eyes peer up at her. 

“Fareeha, relax. Rock your arms like this,” Angela said, demonstrating the motion, “talk to her. Ade? This is your mama, I promise you she’s not a statue,” She jibed, raising an eyebrow at the very stiff Fareeha. 

Fareeha rocked her arms, shoulders loosening gradually. Adelah’s eyes never left her mama’s face, learning her features. A tiny fist reached, clenching and unclenching towards the golden beads in Fareeha’s hair. “Ah ah, they’re not for you, habibti. Maybe when you’re older, okay?”

Unaware of Angela pulling her phone out and snapping a few photos of the two having their moment together, Fareeha softened and relaxed more, now smiling down at the baby. Adelah’s eyes eventually began to droop and scrunch with a quiet yawn, and she fell asleep in Fareeha’s still-rocking arms. 

Angela took a seat beside Fareeha, wrapping an arm around her and resting her head on her shoulder. “You’re a natural, Fareehali,” she whispered.

“I’ve never… held a baby before,” she admitted softly, afraid to wake Ade. Eyes never leaving Adelah, she tentatively removed an am, bringing it to the sleeping baby’s face, hesitating before brushing the back of her finger over a chubby cheek, tracing her button nose, over her already-wavy hair. 

“She’s so soft, so small, she’s perfect.” She finally wrenched her eyes away from her daughter to look at Angela beside her, “She’s ours.” 

\--

Adelah was the type of baby that would try to run before she could walk. With her insatiable appetite, she had the energy to boot. Eyes bright, ever-focused, determined. Watching and absorbing everything around her keenly, fidgeting and ready to move.

For the briefest of windows, Adelah began sleeping through the night, some semblance of rest began returning to her mothers. Knowing they could tuck Ade into her crib and climb into bed together, without having to mentally prepare themselves to wake in a few hours.

Fareeha is already in bed, propped against the headboard and browsing through one of Angela’s English-printed text books when she feels the weight of the mattress dip on her side of the bed, looking up and into a pair of blue eyes gazing back at her. She wordlessly closes the book and Angela sets onto the book stand before moving closer to her lover, leaning in and taking her lips for a slow and tender kiss. She feels the bridge of her nose and cheeks heat up when she feels the familiarity of Angela’s weight as the blonde edges onto the bed some more to straddle Fareeha. She lets her hands come to rest on her hips.

“Hey,” she whispers against her lips, nuzzling their noses softly.

“Hey there,” Angela murmurs back, kissing her again, once, twice, and dipping her head to trail her lips along Fareeha’s neck, feeling for that tender spot. She feels Fareeha swallow thickly, fingers twitching over her hips. Bingo, she smiles to herself and plants a deeper kiss, nipping gently and soothing it over with her tongue and smiling broader when the woman below her gasps. 

“Shhhh,” Angela hushes. “You’ll wake Ade.” Her balance shifts and suddenly she’s on her back, Fareeha sitting above her, hands deftly exploring beneath her sleep shirt as she leans down.

“And just when I thought sleep would come easy tonight, hmm?”

Angela smirks devilishly up at her. “Oh, it still will, trust me.” She says, all too sweetly when her hands reach up to cup Fareeha’s cheeks, as they melt together under the sheets.

“I’ve missed this,” a breathy confession left in the air along amongst the sweet sighs and soft moans. 

\--

Yes, their window of peace was utter bliss. Adelah continued to sleep through the night… Until teething began. 

Fareeha spent the day with her two girls on her day off work, as opposed to going for her run. Winter had rolled around in full force and there was no competition when it came to deciding between traversing the snowy wilds or staying home in the warmth with the woman she loves and their baby. And who could pass up an opportunity to wear her favourite gifted sweater. 

Together they sat around the heater, soft baby mat littered with plush toys and teething rings between them where Ade lay bundled in warm layers, wriggling on her stomach. Angela had knitted her a small beanie to keep her head warm, with two tiny ears and a button nose sewed to the front of it.

Adelah’s moods became sporadic, whether her teeth were giving her grief or not. Often times she’d grow restless and moody, teething toys not helping. 

“She can take infant pain medication, right?” She asked Fareeha. Her concerns lay in the fact that, sure, it’s safe for a human baby to take, but not a jackal, or a child born of both.

Fareeha, holding Adelah against her chest and patting her back and bouncing in attempts to settle the keening little one, confirms. “I think… It’s safe. I took normal medication all my life, unless perhaps I was in my other form, which was never. I think it’s fine, Angela. And I trust your judgement as a doctor.”

“I’m not a doctor yet,” she chides in response. 

“Yet.” Fareeha shoots her an impish smile and turns her attention back to Adelah, softly probing a finger at tiny pouting lips until they relented and opened. She learnt to massage the baby’s gums, keeping a cold washcloth close-by to help soothe the inflammation and pain. 

Now contented, Angela sits back and picks up her text book once more, thumbing to the latest chapter of her studies. Though she was not taking classes, it hasn’t stopped her from studying in the meantime for when she inevitably returns. “I’ll feed her once she settles some more, hopefully she will sleep through tonight.” 

Sure, in the teething-period, she was expecting a few bites here and there during feeding time. What she wasn’t expecting was a full-blown clamp from Ade. Teeth sharp beyond any normal human dental appearance, causing Angela to shriek in pain and pull her away, doubling over.

_“Hueresohn Ade! Du pfüderi!"_

Fareeha is instantly at her side, taking the disgruntled infant into her arms as Angela inspects the damage. 

“Mein gott, Fareeha I’m bleeding.” 

Adelah begins wailing between them, upset her meal was interrupted. Her pouting lips now open wide as she bawls to reveal two perfectly pointed canines protruding from angry red gums. Teeth Fareeha certainly hadn’t felt just ten minutes ago. These were new, just grown, and so quickly too. They only needed one look at her teeth to confirm their suspicions that she is born of supernatural abilities like her mama. And this is only the beginning. 

Angela had been afraid, certainly. She hadn't even every fully divested with Fareeha just how much she was afraid of not getting this motherhood thing right. Afterall, she lost her parents so early in her upbringing. Foster families didn't quite share that same warmth and love that her parents gave her. And because of that, she was afraid that she wouldn't have been able to give that to Adelah, for it was a kind of love she lost years and years ago.

But every time she held her little bundle of joy, her heart filled with the warmth, the absolute need to be there to love, protect and raise Adelah with every fibre of her being.

With Fareeha by her side, she wasn't afraid.

For only less than a few months later, that familiar nauseating feeling began stirring within Angela once more.

Their family was about to get even bigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well you know what they say about lesbians and moving fast...
> 
> Had a kinda shitty day so decided to release another chapter a bit early.
> 
> Hueresohn - Cuss word :^)  
> Du pfüderi - You little rascal  
> Mein gott- My god  
> Fareehali - Adding 'li' to someone's name is a Swiss German form of endearment :)


	8. Awoo!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A thought crossed my mind today!  
> I'm curious as to if any of the folks reading this have not seen or heard of the original story Wolf Children?  
> It kind of brings a new element of surprise if you don't know the plot I suppose :D But I still plan to add a lot of extra's to the original plot

The second time around is easier. It’s familiar. 

Their previous anxieties are no more, and they slip into the routine again, though it was already similar. 

 

With Fareeha’s wage and Angela’s savings combined, they rent a new apartment, something bigger to accommodate their growing family. One with their own bedroom, and a bedroom for the little ones. A welcome difference to Angela’s shoebox apartment with no additional rooms, save for the bathroom. Fareeha’s boss gladly loans her the removal truck to transport their meagre amount of furniture

Although Adelah now had her own room, she spent the first week or so sharing a bed with her mothers, huddled between the two. It was a source of comfort for all three of them, not quite ready to leave Adelah to sleep alone. 

Fareeha woke up to the sound of Angela’s gentle murmuring along with Ade’s gibberish as they conversed. Sluggishly rolling over to face the two, she was greeted with quite possibly one of the most beautiful sights she’d ever see in her life. Angela lay on her back, with her sleep shirt pulled up and exposing her newly rounding stomach with Ade sitting up-right beside her. Her blue eyes, not seeming to notice her lover had awoken, focused on her daughter, filled with so much endearment and love as her little one curiously ran tiny fingers over her stomach, tracing stretch marks and smooth glowing skin alike. Angela looked radiantly beautiful. 

Fareeha reached out and brushed her knuckle over the prominent stretch marks, “I think they’re beautiful too, little one.”

Both Angela and Adelah looked up at Fareeha, “Umi!” the girl squealed, throwing herself over her mother’s side. Fareeha ‘oof’d’ at the weight landing on her, feigning defeat before curling an arm around her daughter and rolling her back on the bed, delighting in the girl’s squeals of laughter when Fareeha assaulted her with a raspberry on her own stomach. 

After the girl eventually settled, she whined, rolling back over to Angela with a thumb in her mouth, bright brown eyes peering at her expectingly. Breakfast time.  
Angela heaved a sigh, leaning over to finally kiss Fareeha goodmorning before moving to stand. Reaching over, Fareeha lightly put a hand on her, “I’ll take care of breakfast, you two have some important unfinished conversation to continue.”

\--

Angela remained home resting and taking care of Adelah, whilst Fareeha worked, reluctantly. Fareeha had expressed concern over Angela exerting herself when she should be resting.

Angela would smile reassuringly, “she’s no trouble, really Fareeha.”

And then Ade learnt how to crawl with walking hot on her metaphorical tail.

Granting her the power to now pursue anything and everything that caught her eye in the apartment, as fast as her chubby legs could carry her. She had almost toppled their Christmas tree one day, reaching for the shiny baubles dangling before her.

Almost pulled the cloth clean off the table, still littered with plates and books whilst Angela busied herself in the kitchen making lunch, only to turn around at the last possible second to dive across the room to grab a glass teetering over the edge with new-found mom reflexes.  
She glances over the edge of the table to a pair of bright brown eyes beaming proudly up at her mother, oblivious to Angela’s panic, as if to say, “look what I can do now.”

She picks up running with blissful ease, much to her parent’s nervousness, barely one year old, and already moving on to learning how to climb. 

“Mi, mi, umi! Up! Up!” Tiny hands grab at the air as she stands at Fareeha’s feet.  
Fareeha chuckles and hoists her daughter up onto her shoulders, wincing as her hands find purchase on her braids. Angela steps up behind them, slipping a beanie over Ade’s head and wrapping her knitted scarf around the girl’s shoulders before pulling her own coat on.

“Ready?”

“Yep.” Fareeha’s smiles at Angela.

“Yep!” Adelah echoes from her Mama’s shoulders, kicking her feet with excitement.

The three walk through the park together, fresh snowfall from last night coated the footpaths in a blanket of white, lightly crunching below their feet. Adelah clings to Fareeha’s hair, jabbering and chattering to herself about everything in her own little world, whilst the two women link hands between them, promise rings glinting in the afternoon sun. Angela’s free hand lay resting over her prominent baby bump. 

\--

Within the next few weeks, baby number two will arrive.

The same thoughts and concerns manifested once again, whether their new little one would be born supernatural like Ade. They both agreed, no doctors again, this time. Until the time comes, they weren’t quite ready for the world to see their children. It was better not to risk, exposure.

In saying this, Adelah hadn’t revealed much more than after the initial bite accident, almost nine months ago.

Aside from one particular night, where the family were spending time together at home. Angela sat on an armchair, flicking through recent news articles on her tablet, sparing glances over to her lover and squealing daughter sitting on the couch together. 

Fareeha has Ade on her back, pulling her top up just enough to reveal a smooth belly, and leaning over to blow a barrage of raspberries on the soft skin, leaving her daughter in fits of laughter, thrashing tiny arms and legs and squirming in her Mother’s careful grip. She moves down to a little foot and lifts it, blowing raspberries and tickling bitty toes with feather light kisses.

Fareeha had become noticeably a lot more comfortable with handling Adelah over the months.

She moves to sit cross legged, bringing Ade onto her lap, facing her, protective hands supporting her upright. Adelah grins toothily up at her mother while Fareeha gives her a chance to recover, but she sits coiled, ready for another assault of kisses.

“Awoooo!” Fareeha puts her jackal ears on show, pulling funny faces, making silly noises and flapping them while Ade giggles and squeals, clapping her hands. They tried to gradually introduce her to the concept of shapeshifting, normalise it so it doesn’t come as a surprise down the track. 

“Awoo! Wooo!” She shouts at Fareeha, laughing. When reading picture books about animals, dogs were now “awoo’s” to Adelah. She claps her hands excitedly, bouncing and wriggling on Fareeha’s lap when she receives more kisses on top of her head. Fareeha laughs and pulls away, freezing when her little girl shakes her head, a tiny pair of brown jackle ears spring from dark curls. 

“Ange…”

“Hm?” Angela looks up from her tablet. Their eyes both fall to Ade who sits, none-the wiser, still giggling and repeating, “awoo, awoo.” Placing her tablet aside, she moves to sit beside Fareeha, both parents still in stunned silence. 

Angela reaches towards her daughter, fingertips tracing along the soft fur, ears flicking unconsciously in response. Not only the ears, but her hair seemed noticeably longer and more course. 

Adelah scrunches her eyes, laughing at the new ticklish sensation as Angela strokes the fur of her ears. When she opens them to look up at her parents, brown irises now a deep gold. “Awoo!”

 

It was never really a question of if she could shape shift, it was when. Fareeha assured Angela it’ll likely happen over time, that it’s not something you can teach or rush.

They had enough to worry about with the young girl’s boundless energy and insatiable appetite to learn. The shapeshifting side of things can gladly come a little down the line. Though, Fareeha would be lying if she said she wasn’t at least a little excited for that moment to happen.

\--

“Leibling?” 

“Mmhm?” Fareeha, without turning, absentmindedly replies from her spot at the window, her guitar clutched but idle in her hands, watching snow flurries skitter and land on the windowsill.

Adelah is curled up on a nest of pillows she’d built on the floor beside the heater, worn out from playing and sound asleep whilst Angela retreats to the couch with book in hand.  
She notices Fareeha’s aloofness over the last couple of days, the obvious amalgamation of working extra hours and staying home on her days off, preparing and looking after Angela for the oncoming day when the baby decides it’s time, begins to wear thin on her. 

Angela watches Fareeha’s leg bounce restlessly as she looks out towards the mountain line in the distance and tries again. “Fareehali. You should go out for a bit,” she prompts gently.  
The other woman turns to look at her this time, looking torn, the exhaustion in her features were apparent. 

“I’ll be okay here. Ade is napping, I have my book, see? Go stretch your legs, it’s been a while.” 

“But…”

“There’s no arguing with a pregnant woman, Fareeha Amari,” Angela smirked. “I’ll see you at dinner?”

She thinks she can practically see the tension slip from Fareeha’s body as she stands up, already unbuckling her jeans. “Yes, of course you will,” she says as she shucks her shirt before leaning down to peck her lover on the lips, lingering a few extra seconds. 

“I’ll be home in a few hours, I love you.”

“I love you too, stay safe.” The apartment falls silent again, Angela watches her little one curled up and sound asleep on her makeshift bed for a few moments before reaching for her tablet. 

Due to the fact she was a few years into her degree, it was coming on to the period where it was time to take practical work. Despite her deferral absence, an email back from her professor confirms she is able to begin her practicals when she is ready. Angela’s grades were impeccable, a testament to her knowledge and brilliance shining in her results, he assures her she’ll likely find a job easily enough in her field to continue her studies and promises to keep her updated with available positions for students come next semester.

Perhaps when a new balance can be made with Fareeha’s work and two babies. 

“Maahhh?” A small voice breaks her reverie. A disoriented Ade is now sitting up on the floor, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and peering around the room before finding Angela on the couch and perks up. “Mama!” She stands slowly, wobbling slightly before tottering over to her mother, hands outstretched for assistance onto the couch.

Angela helps her up, as her little one moves to snuggle into her, grabbing a fistful of her shirt and lifts a thumb to her mouth to suck lazily, eyes already beginning to droop. 

“How about some dinner, spätzli, and back to bed hmm?”

Ade glances up at her mother with heavy-lidded eyes, still sucking her thumb. Angela sees a lot of Fareeha in her, physically, when Adelah is calmer. With her very-pregnant stomach in mind, she shifts the two of them into a cosy spot where Ade can feed and not clamber all over her, and watches the sun begin to set, wondering how Fareeha is doing, if she was feeling better after her free time out there. 

She can feel a light cramping in her abdomen and shifts a little, uncomfortably, but still smiling at the sleepy mumbles from her little girl fighting the losing battle to stay awake while she eats. 

The quiet minutes tick by and the sensation grows a little stronger. 

Angela moves to stand up, bundling Ade in her arms to take her to her room and tuck her in.

By the time her lips meet a soft forehead with a goodnight kiss, the pain has doubled. 

It couldn’t be… But she knows. Deep down she knows. 

As calmly as she can, she moves back to the couch to lay down, to wait for Fareeha to come home, to prepare herself for a very long night and possible day ahead. The cramps flare up and she winces and closes her eyes, inhaling deeply and silently praying Fareeha isn’t home late for dinner after all, as agonising minutes stretch on towards an hour. 

It seems the baby wasn’t willing to be as patient.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spätzli - little sparrow
> 
> In this house we loveand appreciate all stretch marks 


	9. Pups will be pups

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanna reiterate an ask I got on tumblr about me posting more frequently because I've already completed a number of chapters. I'll be continuing to post weekly, maybe longer. sorry. I'm taking a pause for May because my family is visiting me and we're going travelling. I don't trust myself as a writer to pick up the pace at will and churn out more chapters, thus I wanna keep a safe distance of chapters ahead so I don't result in stressing myself out to post more often. Sorry if that bothers some people (a week really isn't that long btw, come on haha. Some fic authors take months)

Pain. 

There was so much pain. 

Angela curled into her self on the lounge, stifling another wimper. Blonde bangs plastered along her forehead from the sweat drenching her skin and clothes. 

_Just relax. Breathe. You just need to breathe, Angela,_ she reminded herself over and over again. _It's not like you haven't been through this before._

But Fareeha was by her side last time...

Angela screwed her eyes closed as another contraction tore through her. 

She kept her eyes shut for minutes? Hours? God, it felt like an eternity before the sound of the front door thrown open, the sound of Fareeha panting, swearing profusely in her native tongue below her breath and immediately on her knees at Angela's side before the door had even creaked shut. Shaking calloused hands found Angela's own resting on her stomach, entwining fingers. "I'm here, I'm here, shit, Angela I'm so sorry," she dropped a quick kiss to her lover's forehead.

“I’m okay, it’s okay,” Angela assured, wincing once again and clasping Fareeha’s hand. “The baby’s coming.”

Fareeha tightened her hold on Angela's hand, stroking soft skin with her thumb. "Your scent. The scent. I could smell it from blocks away," she gulped. "I got here as fast as I could when I realised. What do you need?"

 

The labour lasted through ‘til sunrise. Thirteen agonising hours ticked by before the room was filled with the high-pitched wails of their newest addition to the family. 

“Camille,” Fareeha breathes, the adrenaline of the situation steadily ebbing away now that her lover and newborn were safe. 

 

Angela lay exhausted, propped on the pillows on the floor that Adelah had previously arranged, Camille swaddled in fresh blankets after Angela finished feeding her. Fareeha helped clean her off some more and sat beside her lover, cradling her baby daughter in her arms. 

“Another healthy little girl,” she smiles. 

The physical differences from her sister are already noticeable. Her hair was lighter and less curly, her face resembled Angela a little more, though her skin tone was still much like Adelah’s. 

“Maaaaah,” came a tiny voice from the other room. 

The two women chuckle softly as Fareeha stands up to head to Adelah’s room, nudging the door open and disappearing inside

“Umi!”

“Hey there little one, I have someone for you to meet.”

“Up, up!”

Fareeha returns with Ade in her arms, clinging to her neck. She knelt down once more again beside Angela. 

“Good morning, my darling. Look,” she carefully shifts the baby in her arms so that Ade can see, “This is your little sister, Camille. Camille,” she repeats a little slower to punctuate her name. 

“Cam?” She asks looking back up at Angela and then to Fareeha. 

“Yes, habibti, Camille.”

“Cami?” 

“Cami,” they both confirmed, smiling at the daughter’s inquisitive gaze on the baby, the cogs in her mind turning and processing. “Ca…mi…” she repeats softly again.

**1 year later**

The young family of four remained in the apartment. Angela gradually returned to work, allowing Fareeha to take more time off to spend with the kids or go out for the day. They managed a routine with both jobs so that they healthily balance work and relaxation. 

Adelah, now in her terrible twos, has harnessed how to shapeshift like Fareeha. Sprinting and bouncing around the room on all fours, chewing on anything she could get away with (before receiving a stern scolding from her parents), while her younger sister watched on.

Camille Amari-Ziegler was a stark contrast to Adelah’s personality in almost every way.  
Whilst as an infant, Ade would typically cry when she needed something, whilst Cami was far more emotional, scales tipping at the smallest of things. 

Her cries would echo through the night, refusing to drink milk or settle down, Angela and Fareeha both took turns comforting her, carrying her out into the living room, singing softly and rocking her until she wore herself out enough by crying, enough to sleep.

Angela admittedly would lay awake, listening to Fareeha’s soft Arabic lullabies coming from the other room. On more occasion than one, Angela had stepped out of their room the following morning to see her lover sound asleep on the couch, usually on her back with Camille clinging to her chest, also blissfully asleep under the comfortable weight of her mother’s protective arms around her. If there was one thing Angela was drawn to with Fareeha, it was the calming energy that has always radiated from her, and apparently Camille gravitated to it heavily also.

One particular night when Cami lay awake wailing, her own teething phase well and truly underway, Fareeha nursed the little one, bouncing her in her arms trying to massage swollen gums, crooning sweet words to calm her when they were interrupted by a knock at the door.  
Cautiously, Angela answered it. Their downstairs neighbour, Mr. Schärer stood before her with arms folded, wearing his pyjamas and slippers, moustache twitching with his frown. 

Fareeha stands in the children’s room, continuing trying to hush Camille while listening to the words being exchanged outside. The conversation is in Swiss German but she gets the gist of the situation by the tone of their voice.

“Do you realise what time it is? Does she ever stop crying?”

“I’m sorry Mr. Schärer. She’s—”

“It’s the same thing, every damn night, for crying out loud. And they're running around all day!” 

“I’m truly sorry for disturbing you, we’re try—”

“Teach them some discipline!”

The conversation was punctuated with a scoff and the shuffle of feet away from the apartment. A few seconds of silence stretches by, even Camille had stopped crying for a moment, as if she knew they were talking about her. Fareeha hears the front door click shut quietly and Angela appears in the doorway of the kid’s room looking utterly deflated. Cami resumes her whimpering, elevating into loud cries once again as Fareeha continues to bounce to her and sing softly.

 

Adelah was excitable, inquisitive, hands-on and thirsty to learn, much like Angela.

Camille would prefer to sit back and take things in, analysing, much like Fareeha.

Now a little older, her features more refined, she looked a lot like Angela. Her hair was a lighter brown, straighter, yet still unruly with loose layers jutting every which way. Her eyes were Angela’s shape, though a fair-coloured amber. But she had Fareeha’s mouth. That trademark Amari pout that she seemed to wear any time she was feeling sour or disgruntled. 

“Hungry!” Adelah would shout at the threshold of the kitchen. 

Angela peered over her shoulder at the girl, “Just a minute, Ade, I’m still making lu-“

“Hungry!” 

“I said it’s almost do-“

“Hungry!!” 

“Ade!” Angela whipped around to scold her daughter, who now stood on two hind paws in her jackal form, fur bristled and ears flat, her tiny nose twitching. She let out an exasperated growl, turning to bound to the corner of the room where she sat and pouted, still in her furry form. Angela could feel the daggers in her back.

When Adelah was upset, her fur would bristle, and she would change form, usually unintentional, but she was getting better at doing it on command. To Fareeha, it looked like the girls weren’t sure if they were supposed to be human or jackal, constantly phasing in and out of different forms with no purpose. 

“Oh, okay fine, you can have a biscuit before lunch,” Angela sighs, prompting Ade to come bounding back to the kitchen, ears pointed and tail wagging. She never outgrew her insatiable appetite, always vocal when she was ready for more. Compared to her sickly younger sister, who always ate very little. 

“Cami,” Angela whined, holding a spoon of mashed peas to the baby’s adamantly pursed lips. “You need to eat, spatzli, you’ll feel better.” Her daughter’s response was to push the food away with a disgruntled moan, sniffling and swiping a hand under her snotty nose. 

Beside them, Adelah sat hunched over her bowl, wolfing down her meal with gusto, mashed food spread across her cheeks and chin, dripping onto the table around the bowl. 

With her energy renewed, she was ready to go again, climbing and running around the apartment. Her newest mission: Climb the chest of draws. Pulling out a draw to use as a step, progressing to the next one, up and up until the creaking furniture tips backwards. Angela is alerted by the panicked noises coming from the bedroom, she’s on her feet and there in seconds, catching the draws as it tumbles with her daughter hanging from the top draw, legs dangling.  
Mom reflexes. Angela was well-practiced by now. 

 

Both mothers knew better than to leave the little ones unattended by now. Camille was now old enough to pick up shifting, after watching Adelah for months, tearing around the house on all fours. 

Fareeha had set about doing some overdue laundry whilst Angela went to work. While she sorted through the clothes, Adelah and Camille’s mischievous giggling could be heard chiming around the other room, Ade no doubt running about and being silly while her sister sat back, enjoying her antics. 

When Fareeha had rounded the corner to the living area, she hadn’t been expecting to see the carpet littered with stuffing and fabric of torn up toys, overturned coffee table and chewed up books, miraculously missing from the top shelf of the bookshelf. The culprit sat in the centre of the room, a proud jackal pup, tail wagging in satisfaction. 

“Ade.” Fareeha, began sternly, both girls shrank back at her mother’s tone. “Time-out corner. Now.”

“Ahh! Umi, but- but”

“ _Now_. Cami, I think it’s time for your nap,” she says as she bends over to pick her youngest up, ignoring the moans and squirms in her arms as she moves to the bedroom before turning back to Adelah, “Stay in timeout until I come back, okay? Think about what you’ve done.”

“Yes, Umi…” Ears flattened, tail between her legs, the girl skulks to time-out.

 

Fareeha spends the remainder of her day tidying the mess before Angela comes home to it in the evening. When the kids are finally tucked in and asleep, Angela pours herself a wine and joins Fareeha on the couch, draping her legs over her lover’s lap, listening to her explain what happened today.

“It’s no secret that Ade’s always been an active child,” Angela begins, “but I think the time has come where we need to get her out more, we can’t hide her away forever.”

Fareeha says nothing, the concern is etched on her face, but she knows it’s true. She knows that familiar urge, the instinct pumping through her veins like an itch, that tells her to run free. “You’re right…” she sighs, “I just… Worry. Wow, I understand how my mother felt raising me now.”

Angela sets her wine aside and shuffles closer to Fareeha, moving to sit on her lap sideways and lay her head on her shoulder. “And that’s okay. We’ll be careful.”

A strong arm wraps around her back and shoulders and a pair of lips press into the blonde’s hair. “Thank you.”

\--

The first time they take the kids out, they go together.

Fareeha kneels in front of Ade, pulling the hood of her new pink rain jacket up over her head. The child glances out the window and turns back to her mother. Camille is strapped to Fareeha’s back, peering over her shoulder at the two, hood already pulled up.

“Not raining?” More of a statement than a question.

Fareeha smiles, “No, habibti, it’s not raining. But this is a special jacket you must wear on your walks okay?”

“Special?”

“Yep, because you see,” she demonstrates by showing her ears off, “this is our special secret.”

“Secret?” Adelah asks, her own ears springing free, lifting her hands to feel the furry textures. 

“Uh huh, just a secret for me, mama and Cami, okay? Can you do that for me?” she asks, petting the girls head to flatten her ears, and pulling the hood back up. “You cannot go for walks if you change shape.”

Ade whines a little in protest, but nods in agreement.

She trots along beside Angela, clutching her mother’s hands while Camille is content to cling to Fareeha’s back and watch her surroundings go by. As it was a weekend, the park was full of families and children alike, enjoying their day off in the fresh air. 

Ade watches the children play tag together, clambering up the play equipment, kicking up sand and sprinting around trees to hide. The longing to join the children is evident in her eyes and Angela speaks first to distract her, guiding her over to the row of wild flowers growing along the garden beds.

She tips her head in the air, tiny nose twitching as she investigates the new scents around the flowerbed. Fresh pollen, newly-green trees and grass growing after a long and heavy winter. Camille does likewise, unable to hide away her tiny black button nose. Fareeha unbuckles the harness and lets the toddler down, softly tapping her nose as a reminder and pulls the hood securely back over her head before letting her crawl along the grass to join her sister. They continue their walk along the riverbank, side stepping the odd jogger and couple that walk past hand in hand, nodding as greeting in passing.  
A woman approaches with her dog on leash and Fareeha steps forward to take Ade’s hand when she notices said dog sniff at the air before setting its sights on them. Angela remembers when dogs would pull towards Fareeha, hackles bristled. Sure enough, the dog growls and lurches, emitting a surprised shriek from its owner. In a flash, Adelah yanks her hand free and crouches on all fours, growling in retaliation, her muzzle poking out from the hood and manages a few barks before Fareeha scoops her in her arms, ignoring the squirming and desperate attempts to escape. 

Fareeha laughs a little awkwardly, bowing her head to the woman. “Aha, Sorry! She just loves to play animal!” 

“I’m so, so sorry, I don’t know what came over him!” The woman blurts in German, reining the now-whimpering dog in closer to her. Angela exchanges a few nonchalant words in response before the part ways and continue their walk, Ade still scowling in Fareeha’s arms. 

They pick up their pace now, deciding it was time to head home. Suddenly it feels like every pair of eyes in the park are on them after the commotion from the dog. Ade’s hood was pulled up, surely nobody saw anything… But it feels like the world saw everything. 

 

Fareeha briefly flashes back to the schoolyard fight she had, when everyone surrounded her, the young boy shouting monster!

Walking through the city, the neighbourhood; a group of kids passing by on the street, a man glancing up from his newspaper, a woman hanging her clothes to dry on the railings of her balcony. 

 

They know.

 

They haven’t seen anything but somehow, they know. Surely. 

“Fareeha?” 

“Huh?” 

“There you are,” Angela grins at her side, hefting Ade up in her arms, the little girl now adamantly quiet. “Lost you for a bit there.”

She runs a hand through her hair, nervously, “Sorry… just… thinking.” 

Angela’s hand finds her own, squeezing their fingers together and ceasing the fidgeting. “It’s okay. Is this about the dog?”

She nods mutely in response. 

“Hey, don’t worry about it. Anybody watching would think Ade was just playing.”

“With sharp teeth bared,” Fareeha muttered.

“Awooo,” Adelah grumbled from Angela’s arms.

“Nobody saw that,” Angela countered. “We’ll be more careful next time. It’s a learning process.” 

She flashes her warm signature – everything’s gonna be just fine- smile. And it’s enough to set Fareeha’s anxieties at ease for now. 

\--

"Camille," Angela whined, "sweetheart, shhh, darling." She shifts the wailing infant in her arms, standing from her desk to walk around the room, gently bouncing the little girl. For the third time in the last hour, Angela was torn from her desk to tend to the kids. The end of semester was fast rolling around and deadlines began to stack up. A ten-thousand word essay was due in a short number of days and Angela had barely cleared her introduction before the keening cries of Camille grew from the baby's cot across the room. Fareeha was pulling an evening shift and wouldn't be home for a few hours still. 

"Are you teeth being a pain? Are you hungry schatz?" Angela asked the little ones in her arms, trying to mask the exasperation in her voice as she lifted the hem of her shirt, only to have Camille frown deeper and turn her head away grumbling in her own baby gibberish. 

"Mama I'm hungry!" Adelah announced, bounding into the room and climbing onto her parents bed. 

"You had dinner not so long ago!"

"Dessert!"

Angela continued to pace, rocking the youngest in hopes of settling the wailing child.

"We don- shhhh shh shh Camille. We don't have any dessert."

"I wanna!"

_"Adelah, no."_

The girl on the bed growls in frustration as she threw herself down on the sheets. Brown eyes turned gold, messy dark locks bristled and grew in length, tiny clawed paws kicked and ruffled the sheets. 

Angela held up a finger in warning, eyes narrowing at the girl. "Adelah Amari-Ziegler, don't you dare rip those bed sheets." Camille's crying only increased in volume at the sounds of her mother and sister arguing. Golden eyes met blue, sparkling in defiance. Angela raised a brow at her daughter as if to say, _You've had your warning._  
Adelah's tiny black nose huffs and twitches but she loses this stand-off, jumping from the bed and stomping from the room. With her free hand, Angela rubs her eyes, dragging her fingers down her face and then back to the restless baby in her arms, nudging a finger between down-turned lips to massage the swollen gums.

Fareeha returns home to the sight of her lover reclined over the lounge, head lulled back over the arm with Camille draped over her chest in her arms. Angela's head snaps up immediately, relief flooding her features as Fareeha shuffles over to them, climbing onto the couch and tucking herself into Angela's side. She drops a soft kiss to a pale freckle-dusted shoulder, and strokes the sleeping baby's hair. 

"How was work?

Fareeha drops her hand to Angela's stomach, tracing light patterns. "Exhausting. Family of five. Huge house. How was your night? Made some progress on your essay?" At that, Angela groans.

"Barely a paragraph... I can't... dedicate time to studies if it's just me with the two girls, I just can't. Camille's outbursts are so frequent and Adelah needs so much attention. The essay is due soon. I have exams coming up and I'm behind in course lectures... The group project is at a standstill too." she heaves a heavy sigh, "God, not to mention the research paper. Scheiße." She realises she's working herself up when Camille shifts in her arms, instantly silencing her in fear of waking the girl up. But she feels the knot swell in her throat, the crushing pressure of being a scholarship student looming over her the more she voices her concerns. Fareeha kisses her shoulder again, pulling Angela's head in to rest against her own. 

"I'll take the next few days off, habibti. I'll take the girls and keep them out of your hair as much as I can, okay? Anything you need. You're not alone." She swipes a thumb below her lover's eyes to dry her tears. 

Angela's lip wobbles and she nods gratefully. 

\--

The worst of Angela's coursework is conquered after several more sleepless nights of coffee fueled studying and rapid typing. Open books and papers scattered around the desk cluttered and disorganised and yet everything is exactly where Angela needs it to be. Fareeha bothers her as little as possible, keeping their daughters entertained and taken care of while Angela buries herself in study. She ducks into the room to remind her to have something to eat, drag her away from her desk to spend a bit of time with her family to break things up a bit, or just come to bed at the very least. 

Angela starts picking up shifts with work once more to get her out of the house and keep her sane once the business of the semester ebbs enough for her to 'relax'. 

The fall back into the original routine of one staying home while the other works. It was Fareeha's night off and her turn to watch the girl's. 

In a family with jackal pups that sought out mischief at every turn, silence was scary.

“Ade?” Fareeha rounded the corner of the kid’s room. Empty. “Habibti?” She checked under the bed, the closet and bathroom… It was far too quiet for her liking. 

“Maaaaaaaah!” Camille’s voice echoes from the kitchen and Fareeha is immediately there whipping around the corner in a panic. Her blood freezes in her veins when she sees Adelah laying on the tiled floor clutching her belly, retching the contents of her stomach. Camille sits beside her, frightened, glancing between her mother and sister with fresh tears brimming in her eyes.

A torn open bag of drying agent lays scattered on the tiles, evidently pulled out of the open cupboard door below the kitchen sink. 

_Oh god. Oh god oh god_ , Fareeha panics, kneeling to pull Adelah into her arms and reaching for her phone, her first instinct is to call Angela, who is at work. 

“Fareeha, he--“

“Adelah ate something she shouldn’t have and she’s vomiting. Oh god Ange, what do I do? Take her to a hospital? A vet?” The confliction in her rises. 

She hears Angela cuss under her breath and say something, presumably to her co-worker before moving to the back area of work, the loudness and chatter of the coffee shop now muffled

“Is there blood? What did she eat?” Her words were tense, practised professionalism of a doctor taking over, swallowing her own growing concern.

Fareeha glances at the mess on the ground. “No blood. It looks like she got into the silica gel.”

Silence; the gears clearly turning in Angela’s brilliant mind, sifting through her years of medical study.

“Silica gel… is harmless to consume, as far as I’m concerned. She threw it all up right?”

“Y-yes it looks like it,” she shuffles Ade in her arms, untensing with relief the child whines a little and buries herself further into her mother, tiny hiccups jolting her every so often. Fareeha strokes her hair comfortingly. Camille busies herself on the carpet with her toys.

“Okay… give her a bit of time for her stomach to settle and then give her something light for lunch. No more running around today.”

“Okay,” Fareeha runs a hair through dark hair, willing her nerves to settle, “Okay… Thank you Angela, I mean Dr. Ziegler.” 

“I love you,” her voice coos from the phone, “Please call me if anything else happens. I’ll be finished in a few hours.”

“I love you too, Angela,” she sighs, hanging up and dropping the phone onto the cushion beside her, the last of the tension ebbs from her shoulders as she melts against the seat of the couch, looking down into owlish brown eyes peering back up at her. “Are you feeling better, habibti?”

The girl hiccups once more. “I’m hungry!”

Yep. She's okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a big plot chapter, just some good old fashion family shenanigans with the kids learning how to harness changing forms. Angela has just learnt to roll with it by now


	10. Cornered

They walk hand in hand, tiny hand clasped in Fareeha’s, to their favourite park. Adelah tips her head and sniffs at the air and begins to tug at Fareeha restlessly once inside.  
The park, for the most part, was empty during the day while children were at school and the adults worked. They’d taken more care to go for their walks during quieter times, with less prying eyes. 

Tiny brown eyes went wide at the sight of the playground, a fortress for her to climb on, and began hopping with excitement.

“Stay where I can see you, okay?” Fareeha says reluctantly, releasing the little girl’s hand. As soon as she was released, Adelah sprints with a giggle and a cheer for the empty playground, raincoat squeaking with her movements. She was at the top by the time Fareeha had arrived, unstrapping Camille from her back and setting her down to play in the sand.

She sits cross-legged with Camille, watching the toddler hesitantly crawl over the sand, clenching and unclenching her fist in the grains for the first time ever. 

“Umi! Look at me!” Adelah clings to a metal pole from the top of the jungle gym and slides to the ground, giggling in triumph at Fareeha before taking off to sprint up the slide. “Up! Up! Up!”

 _‘I can’t wait until you’re both old enough to take you for a real run…’_ she thinks to herself.

Meanwhile, Camille continues to push sand around inquisitively, sparing glances up at her mother. Fareeha smiles softly back at her daughter and sits back in the sand. She’s hit with a soft sense of reality check. Of how substantially things have changed over the last few years, since going to that class, since meeting Angela. Her finger and thumb subconsciously move to the promise ring on her opposite hand, twisting and fidgeting with the smooth cold metal. Just a few years ago, even the thought of meeting somebody, having a place to call her own, having a family, it was just… It was a dream she had long ago quashed.

Her own voice echoes in her mind from a memory on Christmas day, almost three years ago;

_“Or perhaps we start a family… I… would like to replace that ring with an engagement ring… If you want, I mean, I understand if maybe… you…”_

_“Fareeha Amari, I would love nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you. Ich hàb lieb fir dich, herzli.”_

An engagement ring. Fareeha’s heart gives an excited lurch at the thought of calling Angela her fiancé. Her wife. 

“Umi!” Ade calls out, jogging along the sand. “I’m gonna climb the tree! Watch!” 

“Be careful! Not too high!” There’s really no point in holding her back at this point, as much as she’d prefer her daughter to keep her feet on the ground for once. She looks down at Camille, who sits watching her sister wrap her arms and legs around the thick tree trunk. Owlish eyes blink back and look up at her mother. 

“Don’t tell your mother, Cami. She’ll kill me.”

“Maah mah,” she responds, holding out a fistful of sand to Fareeha, who graciously accepts her gift. 

“Wooow, thank you very much, habibti,” she coos at her youngest, holding the sand in her own fist. Camille nods, satisfied with her good deed and returns to whatever imaginary project she’d been working on.

“Cami Cami!” comes Adelah’s call from one of the, thankfully lowest, tree branches. The youngest looks up at her, tilting her head. Adelah crouches low on the branch, clutching it firmly as she drops off and swings, landing on the floor with a light thud, miraculously unharmed. Fareeha chokes and all but has a heart attack at the sight. 

“Cami, let’s play chasey!” She announces, bounding up to her sister on all fours in her furry form. 

Camille looks back at Fareeha, who nods and eagerly prompts her to go join her sister. “Just keep your hood up, habibti.” _'Fuck it’,_ she thinks, looking around at the deserted park. _'Let them have their fun.’_ She sits back on the palms of her hands, watching her two daughters sprint on all fours along the grass, weaving around the trees, kicking up leaves and dirt. Their laughter and joy are the single greatest thing she’s heard in her life.  
\--

After a spontaneous detour to the bakery on their way home, the sun was now setting, bathing the neighbourhood in deep orange hues as they finally make it to the landing of their apartment. Adelah marches beside Fareeha, preoccupied with her chocolate chip pastry. Camille is harnessed to her mother’s back, quietly munching on her own, dropping crumbs all through Fareeha’s hair.

Walking down the hall towards their front door, Fareeha spots two well-dressed figures approaching; a man and woman. They glance at Fareeha and to the two children accompanying her and exchange quiet words between themselves. Ade shuffles a bit closer to her mother’s leg, eyeing the couple warily and Fareeha does likewise as the distance closes between them. 

They pass each other with no more than an exchange of a nod and a quiet “Good afternoon.”

Fareeha ushers Adelah inside the front door, sparing one last glance at the couple now exiting the apartment floor.

“Mama, mama! I climbed a tree!”

Fareeha flinches and curses internally.

“Really?” Comes Angela’s amazed reply from the living area, “Did you have fun?”

“Uh huh!”

Fareeha steps into the living room sheepishly as Angela raises a brow, smirking at her. The smile quickly fades as she sits back onto the lounge with a sigh, nursing her coffee mug. Fareeha notes the two untouched mugs on the coffee table and helps Cami off her back, watching as she tottles off to the bedroom, following her sister.

“Looks like you just missed the excitement,” Angela sighs again. 

“Those people I passed in the hall…”

“Social workers,” Angela confirms. Though this was their first in-person visit, they’d previously received letters of enquiry. An anonymous report of constantly crying children, namely Camille, was enough for them to catch wind and begin sticking their nose into the private family’s business. When Angela and Fareeha neglected to respond, they took it upon themselves to pay them a visit. 

Fareeha takes a seat beside Angela, pulling her lover’s head to rest on her shoulder as gentle fingers ran through blonde tresses. “What… what did they want?”

“To talk. For now. They want to know why I have two unregistered daughters, no birth certificates, no papers. Why the children have never been immunized or had a doctor’s check-up, despite me assuring they’re healthy. They wanted to know where they were born, if I was a single parent…”

“They saw me with the girls. I think that confirms that much.”

Angela brings her knees up into her chest, curling further into Fareeha. The room is filled with a heavy silence as both women weigh up the gravity of the situation that was arising. Distant giggling from the children can be heard in the other room. 

“They wanted to see them for themselves, to make sure they were as healthy as I say but I told them you were out walking with them… They’ll surely come back again. They said if we continue to ignore it, they’ll want to launch an investigation… Fareeha… What are we going to do?”

She wanted to say it’ll be fine. Everything will be okay. But if she was honest, she was as nervous about the situation as Angela was. These kinds of things don’t just… go away… They fester. 

"They can't..." Fareeha feels her throat knot up her words. “They can't take our girls away... We’ll figure something out, Angela.” She swallows thickly, pulling her lover in tighter, as if she would vanish like this is some sort of bad dream.

\--

And fester, they did. 

They received a knock on their door, Fareeha answered this time, bristled and ready to exchange words with the social workers or disgruntled neighbours when she opened the door to instead have an elderly woman standing before her, her next door neighbour. She deflates gratefully, “Oh, Ms. Aegerter, what can I do for you?” 

The woman fidgets a little, floored by Fareeha’s height. “H-hello Fareeha. I um… I’ve been meaning to ask if you… own… dogs?” Fareeha’s blood turns to ice in her veins but she conceals any reaction. “I’ve never seen them, but I often hear barking or whining, sometimes howling, from what appears to be coming from your apartment. I hear it through the walls,” she chances a glance at the taller woman. “I mean, I’m not the only one to hear it, if I’m honest. And… well, pets aren’t allowed in these apartments… I don’t want to make assumptions but…”

“I don’t own any dogs, Ms. Aegerter. My girlfriend is allergic. I’m not sure where the source of the noise is coming from. It is just me, Angela and my two, apparently loud crying daughters that people are all too happy to report.” She responds flatly, but the accusation is seething into her tone. 

“R-right, I see. Sorry for the disturbance Fareeha, have a nice day.” Ms. Aegerter turns heel and scurries back to her front door. Fareeha remains at her doorway, a few moments longer than after her neighbour had left before returning inside with a sigh to find Angela standing beside the doorway, worry etched in her features. She takes a step into Fareeha’s open arm, embracing each other in heavy silence, the walls of their cosy family apartment suddenly felt suffocating. They felt trapped.

Angela is the first to speak, pulling away from Fareeha’s chest and leading her to the bedroom. “I think… it’s time to talk… Make new plans.” She swipes up a few pieces of paper from her work desk and sticks her head into the kids’ room to check on them. Both girls are sound asleep on Adelah’s bed in their jackal form, curled into each other. Ade was curled into a ball, tail wrapped around her and almost covering her face while Cami huddles close, chin resting on top of her sister. Angela smiles a the smallest twitch of their ears as they doze peacefully. It's just not fair. Having to restrict and hide who they are. Their children didn't deserve to be raised so sheltered from the world.

Angela takes a seat on the bed beside Fareeha, papers still in hand. “So… You know that I’ve been applying around the area at both hospitals and clinics for a position to further my studies in in the practical field. I’d just recently received my responses and have yet to make a decision,” She hands Fareeha her papers; letters of acceptance. Though it all read in Swiss-German, Fareeha recognised Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois Lausanne.

One of the best ranking hospitals in Switzerland, be it on the other side of the country. 

“Oh my god, Angela!” She exclaims up at her lover, “You’re going to pick CHUV, right? We can make it work, we c-“

“I’m declining it.” 

“Wh… Why?”

Angela shuffles through the papers to find the one she needs and presents it to Fareeha to inspect. 

“Where is Appenzell?

Bringing up a map and photos on her phone, she explains to Fareeha, “About an hour drive from here. It’s small, a population of around six thousand. It’s green. I’d go as far as to say it’s quite secluded.” She swipes to another photo of the mountain range surrounding the small town. It’s truly nothing short of stunning. “Imagine running through there, Fareeha. When the kids are old enough to as well. We can have our very own home, away from prying eyes, to raise our family freely. No more cities. No more social workers. No noise complaints. Just the four of us. Free.”

It sounded too good to be true to Fareeha, but the concern still lingers… “You’d give up your shot… at one of the greatest hospitals in Switzerland, for a small countryside clinic?”

“A building and title are just that, Fareeha. It’s the people, I’m becoming a doctor to help people. It doesn’t matter if I’m in the best hospital in the entire world or a volunteer doctor in some slum… I’m doing this for our family.”

Soft fingers swipe at Fareeha’s cheeks as fresh tears threaten to spill over again at her words. “When do you start?”

“Whenever we’re ready. I don’t want to rush you out of your job or anything, we’ll plan things as best we can before we go.”

“Can we… afford this?”

Angela smiled softly, stacking her letters and papers and setting them on the bedside table before laying back, patting the pillow beside her as silent invitation for Fareeha to join. They slot together in a tangle of limbs and pressed bodies. “When my parents died, they left me… a sum of money, let’s just say. I haven’t touched it, I never wanted to. I got through university with a scholarship, I paid off my apartment with my own earnt money from work. I think… this is something they’d want me to put it towards. I’ve already looked on the market for houses, actually.” She shifts to slot a leg between Fareeha’s.

“I found one on the outskirts, small farmhouse on some acoridge that nobody has actually lived in for quite some time, so it needs a bit of attention, sure. But there are no neighbouring houses, just trees and pastures for the kids to run around free, away from prying eyes.”

It sounded too good to be true, if Fareeha was honest, a dream. Some simple renovations were a fine price to pay for their perfect home. And better yet, if she can find work and Angela excels in the remainders of her degree…

“Let’s do it!” 

Angela pulled away from Fareeha and peered up with hopeful eyes, smiling at the radiance of Fareeha’s sudden enthusiasm. “Yeah?”

“Of course!” She plants a kiss on the blonde’s nose, smiling at the crinkle in Angela’s face as she positively beamed back at Fareeha, then drops another to her forehead, her cheek and then lips, holding them captive for a tender few moments, smiling against each other. 

Angela returns the kiss a little deeper, lithe fingers travel from Fareeha’s waist, along her ribs and to her jaw cupping it and sliding them into dark hair. “Ich liebe dich.”

Fareeha moves to kiss Angela’s jaw again, nose brushing the soft skin down across her pulse, inhaling her scent and planting another kiss against her throat. “Ich liebe dich,” she repeats; the German words pronounced with her Egyptian accent made Angela’s heart sing. German sounded all the more sweeter when Fareeha spoke it. 

“Your pronunciation is improving, liebling,” 

“Danke danke,” She smiles against Angela’s neck, tickling it with hot breath, before leaving another trail of kisses down along the dip of her shoulder and around her clavicle, wandering hands idly lift the hem of the blonde’s shirt. 

Angela squirmed under Fareeha’s touch, forever at her mercy. Hands move down to Fareeha’s jeans, making quick work of the buttons and slowly, articles of clothing are shed, replaced by bedsheets covering their bare forms as they melt together in a tangle of limbs and lips. Spirits were high for the first time in weeks as they were no longer cornered by insufferable people who couldn’t keep to their own business. 

Angela’s leg finds its place between Fareeha’s own as the Egyptian moves back to her chest, pressing chaste kisses along the bare skin, drawing goose bumps from flesh. Calloused fingers of one hand bury themselves in thick blonde hair while the other finds purchase on the thigh hooked around her waist.

It was at that moment when the press of Angela’s leg pulls a low groan from Fareeha that a soft “Mama,” breaks their trance, both pairs of eyes snapping to the door where Adelah stands bleary eyed, holding her younger sister’s hand and clutching her jackal plush in the other. 

“How was your nap, spatzli,” Angela smiles, despite the obvious flush on her face and sits up, pulling the blankets to cover her chest. Fareeha had already discreetly climbed off and buried her face in the pillow, embarrassment flooding her features.

“Cami had to pee,” She mumbles, rubbing her eyes. 

“Well, aren’t you just a wonderful sister for taking her,” She beams at her two daughters as she reaches for her robe to cover herself, sitting on the edge of the bed. 

“Were you and umi cuddling?” Angela hears Fareeha practically choke, face buried further in the pillow.

“Yes my dear, we love cuddling.” She grins down at Fareeha who side eyes her with a quirk of her brow. 

“Can we cuddle with you and umi too?”

Angela glances down in Fareeha, silently throwing the ball in her court. 

“O- of course, amar, c’mere.” She sits up and pull her T-shirt back on as the two girls bound across the room and clamber onto the bed to occupy the space between their parents. Camille opts to cling to Angela’s chest, tiny fist holding her robe while Ade lays with her back against Fareeha’s chest, both mothers draping an arm over their little ones. 

Angela glances up at Fareeha and meets her eyes, giving her a sheepish wink, suppressing a chuckle with Fareeha rolls her own back at her.

“Hey Cami, Ade?”

The two girls roll over to look at Angela inquisitively. 

“What do you guys wanna do from now on? To be human or jackal?”

The girls perked up at the question, waiting for her to continue. 

“Umi and I were thinking… of maybe moving… to some place where you can choose whatever you want.” She reaches over and brushes Adelah’s messy bangs away from her eyes, which are already beginning to drift off once more. The girl hums soft in response. 

“Okay mama. I like it.”

Fareeha watches her three girls drift into a peaceful sleep, one by one. The setting sun peaks through the blinds and she admires for a moment how the light makes Angela positively glow, like an angel. Despite her initial wakefulness, the atmosphere slowly lulls her to sleep.

She dreams she’s in a field of wildflowers, as far as the eye can see. She’s running on all fours, as fast as they can carry her. She feels so alive, so content.

A brown blur speeds past her, giggling, followed by another close in tow. Two jackal pups, bounding through the flowers. They match her speed somehow, and they run together, free.

A figure stands ahead, and they run to her. 

She kneels down at their approach, with arms wide open as the two pups leap into her arms, tails wagging as they stretch to lick her cheek. She returns the sentiment with a kiss on the tops of their heads, blonde hair briefly spilling over them before setting them back down as Fareeha approaches. 

Arms embrace her as she nuzzles into her neck, soft hands ruffle the mane of fur on her neck and move to scratch her ears. A chaste kiss is placed upon her head too before she moves to stand again.

And then they run.

They run together through the field, weightless, content, and free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back from vacation! And then i'm going on another on the 20th (the life of a traveller)  
> Appenzell is a real place btw (and so is Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois Lausanne)! I did some research on places close to Zurich for them to move to that would be similar to the Wolf Children plot :3


	11. New beginnings

Within the month, realtors had been contacted, their lease broken, resignations were in, plans were in motion and bags and lives packed into a single moving truck – again, so graciously loaned to Fareeha- and the small family were headed to Appenzell.

The three-seater truck passed through the countryside with Fareeha behind the wheel, Angela taking the passenger seat with Camille buckled onto her lap and Adelah sitting between her parents. The oldest chattering away and asking Fareeha questions about every single detail about everything in front of her; What does this button do? Can I push this? That light is blinking, what does it mean? Can I help you turn the wheel? Can I pull the stick yet?

Nearing five years of age, Ade’s natural inquisitiveness flourished, eagerness to learn anything and everything about the world around her, much like a certain blonde soon-to-be doctor. However, she was more hands on about the way she learnt, like Fareeha, always tinkering and experimenting. 

Meanwhile, Camille sits quietly on Angela’s lap, quietly watching the countryside roll by. She shared in her sister’s inquisitiveness, sure, but preferred to sit back and learn from afar, taking everything in, the cogs in her mind turn steadily.

Soon enough they’re approaching Appenzell, a small village nestled amongst the mountain range. Everything is so green and lush. They drive past a herd of sheep making their way up the main road’s side, guided by a farmer and his two sheep dogs. 

Making a slight detour before hitting the main stretch, they head towards the outskirts of town, toward the treeline and fields. A man, the real estate agent, dressed in a fine blue button-down shirt with a folder tucked under his arm, stands at the side of the road at the destination they were told to meet. He motions for the truck to take the dirt path, presumably their driveway, covered by lush evergreens.

“Woahhhh tunnel,” Ade announces as they pass beneath the trees and then points ahead, “There! I see it!”

“That’s your new home, spatzli,” Angela smiles, unable to suppress the mirth. 

They pull up in front of the dilapidated cottage, the front yard was severely overgrown and unkempt. Fareeha pulls Angela in for a quick side hug, kissing her on the cheek as they beam at the house. Their new home. They carry the kids inside, following the real estate agent in as he gives them the grand tour. If you could call it grand. 

To put it bluntly, it was trashed. 

“Although the loan payments makes this place almost free, the price for repairs will be insane,” He explains, grunting as he pries the front door open, rusted at the hinges from years of disuse. The home, itself had been long abandoned, the agent explains, side stepping a broken floorboard. A thick layer of dust coats the entire interior. Old rotted furniture litters the house, a door sits propped against the wall, almost every window was missing or shattered, making this place a free for all for nature to claim, vines creeping inside the openings. Fareeha and Angela study the house quietly, taking it all in. The kids behave, though they’re probably just being shy around the agent who is still flitting around the house talking.

“But the electricity still works! By some miracle. You’d get your water from the nearby stream, which still runs, and the tools in the shed are still good to use, just a bit rusty.” He pushes open the large wooden sliding door leading to the backyard

Angela speaks up, “That’s a field on the property, right?”

“Ah,” he turns to her, “This place isn’t suited for self-sufficiency, ma’am. Animals come down from the mountains and damage the fields. Even if you took the time to grow plants and vegetables, the animals would eat them first.”

Fareeha hums, “That’s a shame,” she says mildly. Angela raises an eyebrow and smiles.  
There’s not a chance in hell that animals would bother them after learning that a jackal family lived here. 

“Are there… wolves?” Angela asks.

“No ma’am, no wolves around here. As far as we know anyway. We got the usual like deer, foxes, rabbits, boars, badgers uh… birds. Lots of birds.” 

The agent steps outside onto the back porch, still talking, “All the people in the area have been driven out, quite frankly. It wasn’t worth their time trying to build lives here and have it torn down so easily when they could just live in town.”

That got Fareeha’s attention, “So… neighbours?”

“No neighbours, I’m afraid. A few houses dotted down the road you came up to get here but otherwise nobody ever comes down this far. It’s maybe a little too secluded for a young family?” He stretches his arms, looking over the overgrown fields. “Are you sure you don’t want me to take you through some other alternative homes in the area? The village would be a lot more practical.”

“We’re sure. This will do just fine,” Angela announces, and the agent spins around to look at her I disbelief. 

\--

“It’s so big! Oh my gosh! Woooow!” Shrill voice bounces and echoes off the empty walls of the house as Adelah investigates, bounding from room to room, excitement practically bubbling over. She sprints into the backyard, leaping into the long grass, pausing only to take in her surroundings before making a beeline to the dilapidated tool shed. “Oooooh!” Hurrying over to the next thing that grabs her attention whilst Camille remains on the porch, peering around the corner timidly, sniffing at the air and watching her sister stop by a trail of ants to greet them, laughing. A lizard wriggles up the wooden post she’s hiding besides, and she shrieks, running inside for help.

Adelah flops down into the grass, breathing in the fresh clean air, still elated and giggling as Angela and Fareeha join her outside, Cami clinging to Angela in her arms. 

Fareeha hops down into the grass and looks around. “So, what do you guys think?” She looks at her two daughters.

“I love it!” Adelah announces enthusiastically.

“I wanna go home,” Camille mumbles into Angela’s neck.

\--

The prospect of turning this cottage into something liveable was daunting to say the least. It would be no easy task. But this was a chance to make this place their own. 

They had more than enough savings to get them by for some time until they’d have to begin searching for jobs. It was more than enough time they needed to dedicate to renovating the house from scratch. First and foremost, they picked the least damaged room in the house, one they could actually close-up at night to sleep in, temporarily until the other rooms were salvaged. And then they went from there.

Angela tackled the interior, sweeping out all the dust, removing the damaged furniture and debris littering the house while Fareeha set to work on the exterior, starting with replacing the roof tiles which had been noticeably leaking rain water into the house. 

The kids entertained themselves while their parents worked, exploring their new surroundings, climbing trees, chasing birds and bugs, inspecting new smells, sometimes asking if they could help. Adelah was just looking for an excuse to join Fareeha on the roof, pouting when she was denied. She instead opted to help Angela mop the floors, forgetting sometimes to wipe her feet or paws when re-entering the house and having to start over. 

Angela would sometimes catch herself watching Fareeha work. Sitting upon the roof in a tank top, muscled arms glistening with sweat as she hammers new tiles in, stopping to only wipe damp hair from her face. 

From her vantage point, Fareeha watched the girls approach a stray cat that had wondered on to the property, perhaps expecting morsels. It stood, back arched, growling lowly as Ade crept a little closer, hand outstretched to pet it, Cami watching on from a safe distance as usual. The cat took a swipe and startled a squeak out of her and Camille runs back inside. Adelah responds by jumping back at the cat, barking in her jackal form and taking chase as it bolts away through the tall grass, laughing at the new game afoot. 

Upon wiping down the posts on the porch, Angela notices slight notches scratched into the wood, names once written in marker beside each one. Height measurement recordings, no doubt from children that once lived here. At ages five and four, Adelah and Camille get their very first of many notches added to the post.

Every night they retire to bed utterly exhausted, adding a few more band-aids to the growing collection on their hands, calloused and blistered from labour. 

Angela declares she’s going to take a day off to recoup, maybe take the kids into town, suggesting subtly that Fareeha would have some time to herself to…explore.

 

Fareeha awakens at the crack of dawn, just as the sun begins to peak over the mountain range. For the first time in years, she doesn’t have to strategically make her way in and out of town to go for her runs. She casually slips her sleepwear off as Angela stirs behind her in bed. 

“If you’re going to do that in front of me, you’re morally obliged to spend the morning in bed with me before you go,” a sleep-tinged mumble comes from beneath the covers. 

Fareeha smiles and returns to the bed, leaning down to kiss her lover, slowly and deeply before reluctantly pulling back. “I’ll be home before dinner,” she murmurs. 

“Mmhm, be safe, please.” Is all Angela can say before sleep claims her again.

Fareeha steps out onto the back porch, stopping for a moment to appreciate the serenity around her. She takes a moment longer to stretch the stiffness out of her limbs from her hard work, inhaling the fresh mountain air. Stepping down into the fresh dew-covered grass, bare feet shift into paws, along with the rest of her body as she pads through the field, approaching the tree line. 

And then she runs.

Weaving through trees and shrubbery with agility and grace, as if she could navigate it all with her eyes closed. This time, she’s mapping out places, learning the landscape, to take her children in the future. Maybe even Angela. 

The valley that Appenzell nestles in is always cool, even in the summer time with a constant breeze blowing through the mountain range. Everything's so green, so lush, so alive. And Fareeha remembers why she stayed in Switzerland for as long as she did, even before meeting Angela. 

The sound of running water draws her to a river, the source of the town’s water supplies no doubt. Bowing her head before the stream, she laps up the alpine-fresh water, revelling at how pure it tasted. A rustle of a bush across the stream alerts her, ears pointed tall, directed towards the source. Out steps a fox, cautious of the stranger suddenly in its territory. 

They’re locked in a stare down, silently weighing each other up. Brown, inquisitive eyes study golden, looking for any possible threatening sign in her body language. Apparently finding none, the fox relents and continues its way to the river to drink, throwing quick glances back at Fareeha between lapping at the water. Either it had decided she was no threat… or just merely not worth the effort of picking a fight. Clever fox, indeed. 

Refreshed and cooled off, Fareeha continues to follow up the side of the stream where the unmistakable thundering of a waterfall becomes louder and louder the longer she walks. When she reaches the clearing, the falls take her breath away. Crystal-clear water cascades from the cliff above, higher than she can even see from her level.

Oh she’s definitely bringing Angela here sometime. 

But first it was time to find lunch, the sun already sitting high in the sky.

She turns heel and makes her way back into the thick of the forest, with the intent of finding a way up the mountain side before it gets dark. 

\--

Angela finds an old bike in the shed and inspects it. After a quick service, it’s rideable to say the least and she takes the children into town to collect groceries, whizzing down the empty road freely while the girls clutch onto her squealing in delight before returning to civilisation, dirt path tapering into cobbled road. 

They stop by a library. Angela rents a handful of books on growing and cultivating food.  
Camille and Adelah both enthusiastically sift through the children’s section (Angela cringes inwardly at the obtuse squeaking noises coming from their raincoat disguises inside the quiet library). She stops by the local clinic she’s been placed in to make her introductions and begin preparations for her to start work at the end of the month.

 

The sound of cicadas sing outside the house, a reminder that summer is now in full effect.

Fareeha finishes repairing the last of the floorboards; new glass is installed on the windows.

They begin to move their furniture into the house at last and finally, finally it’s beginning to feel like a real home to live in. 

 

They have a full refrigerator for the first time in weeks, celebrating by cooking a hearty family dinner now that they have a table to sit around. 

Fareeha’s bookshelf sits in the living area with her guitar propped up beside it. A vase of fresh flowers sits upon the top, Angela’s old framed family photo and Fareeha’s own personal photo, crinkled from years of folding and unfolding it, of her homeland sit beside it. They add a new addition, a freshly framed photo of Angela, Fareeha, Camille and Adelah standing together in front of their brand-new home, silly grins plastered on their faces. 

After the kids are tucked into bed, exhausted from yet another day of “helping”, Angela steps out into the living room to see the backdoor open. A breeze billows the curtains, barely revealing Fareeha’s figure sitting outside on the porch, looking out over the fields. 

Angela steps out to join her, medical kit in hand. She silently takes a seat beside Fareeha, gently tugging the woman’s hand into her own tender hold to inspect the fresh cuts and scrapes from her labours. 

“I’m so happy,” Fareeha confesses softly, turning to Angela.

It’s so quiet, they quickly realised after first moving in. No cars, no city noise… Just… nature. The eerie echo of the wind rustling the trees, crickets chirping amongst the tall grass, the hoot of an owl passing overhead. 

“I’m happy too,” Angela smiles back, peeling the plastic off, yet another, new band-aid to apply to her patient’s hand.

“Everything we’ve worked for is paying off. I don’t think we could have it any better than this. I’m happy our kids will grow up here. It’s like a dream come true.”

Angela drops a chaste kiss upon Fareeha’s knuckles. They glance at each other and then lean in for a kiss, lingering a few seconds. “Me too, liebling.” Fareeha wraps an arm around Angela’s waist, pulling her in for a hug, the blonde’s head rests on her shoulder.

Silence.

“I guess we can start working on clearing the field soon? We can start growing some of our food before winter rolls around.”

“I’ve got another couple of weeks until my placements begin, let's see what we can do.”

“Sounds good to me.” The conversation lulls as they bask in the silence once more. “Fareeha?”

“Yeah?

“Do you remember our promise?” Angela toys with the ring on her finger, nervously.

“Of course I do.”

She pulls away from Fareeha, still holding the woman’s hand, and looks her in the eye. “Let’s get married.”

Fareeha splutters briefly, unsure if she heard correct, but the look on Angela’s face is so sure. The same face she made when she had asked Fareeha if she wanted to study together… Near seven years ago. Determined. Sincere. It was inevitable that this moment would come eventually, but nothing can truly prepare you for when those words are finally spoken. She realises she’s still staring back at Angela, almost slack-jawed. 

The same way she’d looked at her after she chased her down outside the campus. She opens and closes her mouth a few times, trying to formulate a response. “Yeah?” was the best she could come up with, lamely. 

“Yes!” Angela links the fingers together, squeezing gently. “Fareeha Amari, you’re my best friend, my rock, my lover. Look at the life we’ve built together, the life we’ve brought into the world, two beautiful daughters. You introduced me to a new world, opened my eyes to so many vast possibilities. We’re in this together, forever, and I would love the pleasure of calling you my wife.”

“Yes Angela,” Fareeha breathes, her voice finally obeying. “Yes, I want to marry you! I want nothing more in the world!”

Their grins could illuminate the night when it spreads over their faces as they slip each other’s promise rings off and onto their left hand, their wedding finger. They fling their arms around each other’s shoulders, rocking with laughter, smothering each other with kisses until they fall back onto the floorboards of the porch in a tangle of limbs. Angela leans over Fareeha, fresh tears in her eyes, and kisses her deeply, hands cupping her cheek and tracing her tattoo tenderly. 

When the emotional high subsides, they remain like that, laying in each other’s arms, sniffling the last of their happy tears away. “I love you Fareeha.”

“I love you too, Angela Amari-Ziegler.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UWUUUUU MY HEART -clutches- they finally did the thing 
> 
> Thank you as always to Lunari for beta'ing for meeee <3


	12. Snowflake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lot's of character development for Camille in this chapter!

After finding an old scythe in the tool shed and giving it a bit of a touch-up and sharpen, Fareeha sets to work on clearing the field in their backyard. Thigh-high grass is levelled with ease, while Angela tills the soil and creates rows for planting. The field has been claimed back from nature.

Adelah and Camille are intent on helping, so Angela teaches them how to plant the seeds and water them. Ade digs a hole with her hand and buries a seed while Cami follows up with the watering can.

Tomatoes, beets, peppers, green beans and cucumbers were planted. Sweaty, but accomplished, it was time to nourish and watch them grow. Within the first few days, tiny delicate spouts dotted the expanse of the field, much to the family’s excitement. 

Angela develops a routine of watering and fertilizing the plants at set times of the day, making the most of her free time before beginning her new job. Meanwhile, Fareeha takes the bike and spends the day in town, searching and applying for her own job. 

 

The distant barking, giggling and squealing can be heard amongst the trees as the children play tag. And there’s a few moments of silence, before Angela heals Camille scream. _Ade probably found a handful of bugs to show her_ , Angela thinks fondly

Until she spots Camille running along the field, tears streaming down her face, and Angela is on her feet and meeting her in an instant as Camille sobs into her legs.

“Shatz, what happened?” she asked, squatting down to swipe a thumb over her cheek, cleaning off dirt and tear tracks. Camille stands in her half jackal form, black nose sniffling, ears pinned back, fresh scratches crisscross on her arms and face. 

“It was that stupid cat!” Ade growls, bending over to catch her breath after catching up with the two. “Even though she’s a jackal, it attacked her cause she’s weak!”

“Hey now!” Angela chides, ushering Camille back to the house to clean the scratches. “Adelah, that’s not nice to say about your sister.”

“It’s true! I’d never lose to a stupid old cat! Not even a bear! It’s fun when I started chasing them and they ran away,” she announced, puffing her chest proudly. 

“Adelah Amari. Remember what umi said about respecting the animals here. This is their home too.”

“But—”

“ _Ade._ ” That warning mom tone.

Adelah sighed in defeat, pouting her signature Amari pout. “Fiiiine.”

“Thank you,” Angela said softly, still petting Camille’s hair comfortingly. “You’re not weak, sweetheart. Conflict is not always the answer, you know? I don’t like it either.”

\--

After that, Fareeha made the executive decision that the girls were old enough and settled into their new life style, to start coming out with her. To learn how to be a jackal. Angela reluctantly stays home. This is something better left to be between Fareeha and the children, and she trusts that she’ll look after them. 

And so Fareeha takes them out in the morning, teaches them how to hunt. Encouraging them to start small with rabbits, mice and birds. 

“Start with small game, but as you get older, you can tackle larger prey. It’s always more efficient to hunt with a pack, or a partner, at least.” Fareeha explains. “Teamwork is important, and you need to look out for each other. Your safety is the most important thing. Nothing is worth putting your life at risk. Ever. Okay?”

“Okay,” they reply in unison.

Camille pouts, poking at the dirt with the stick while Ade bounces on the balls of her feet, ready to start. She grasps Camille’s arm, “Let’s go, Cami c’mon! Team!” 

“I don’t wanna,” she grumbles back, pulling her arm free and returning her attention to the ground. 

Adelah harrumphs with an exasperated, “fine then,” and lifts her nose to the air, looking for a lead. Locking on to something, she shifts to all fours and dives into the shrubbery, following the scent.

“Don’t go too far!” Fareeha calls out. 

“Okay!” is the last reply before the rustling ceases in the distance, leaving Fareeha and Camille alone together. 

“Umi… Can we go home soon?”

Fareeha sighs and kneels down beside Cami, petting her head a little, “Not yet habibti, let’s stay out a little longer and see what we can find? Okay?”

“Kay…”

Adelah’s natural enthusiasm and energy brings her triumph after triumph throughout the day, catching mice, rabbit and a snake. Never to kill or eat, quickly released without harm soon after. This was just exercise in hunting practice. 

They sift through an open field, Ade running ahead as usual, she makes a beeline for the nearby stream to wash the dirt off her fur from digging up rabbit warrens. Camille lingers back behind Fareeha a little, stopping by an old rotted tree. Fareeha turns in time to see Camille doubling over, retching into the dirt before squatting down to hide her face. She notices her daughter’s shoulders shudder and a sob escapes as Fareeha kneels down beside the girl, rubbing her back and crooning soft Arabic reassurances. Camille certainly hadn’t eaten anything of recent… Fareeha suspected perhaps Camille’s anxieties over the whole being jackal may have overwhelmed her.

Distant honking and splashing breaks the silence in the distance “Umi! Umi! I caught a goose in the river!” A soaking wet Adelah trudges back from the water, a squirming goose cuddled in her arms.

Fareeha holds a finger to her lips, gesturing for Ade to keep her voice down as she sits with her daughter, noticing the tears still rolling free into the dirt. 

“Umi?”

“Hmm?”

“Why are we… the bad guys?” Cami sobs out. 

“Bad guys?” Fareeha asks, but she knows, she understands what Camille means. They’re different. Predators. 

“In the picture book I read… They… chased away the wolf with guns. Everyone hates him.” She stops to sniffle. “I… I don’t want to be a jackal. It’s scary. I don’t want people to hate me.”

Fareeha sighs and pulls her youngest onto her lap, wrapping her arms around her tightly. They sit together under the tree, rocking back and forward, Fareeha continuing to stroke her hair and whisper to her. “You’re not scary, habibti. We’re different. And some people are scared of different because they do not understand us. We’re very special, do you know that? Only you, me and Adelah have this special power to be human and jackal. But I’m not going to force you to be something you do not want to be. You are Camille Amari-Ziegler, and you can be whoever you want to be. That's why mama and I moved all the way out here for you both.”

Camille nods with a sniffle, hugging closer into Fareeha.

"And you wanna know something else?"

Puffy red eyes peer up from Fareeha's chest. 

"In Egyptian culture, jackals are revered and worshipped as gods." Fareeha catches the subtle shift in Camille. "Gods?" "Yep. Do you remember Anubis from your stories? He is the great god of the underworld and he has the important job of protecting the souls that have passed on to the afterlife. The stories I was told as a little girl, were of Anubis giving the Amari family the power to transform into jackals. I think that's pretty special, don't you? So it's true that some people may not like jackals. But to some, they are the most important animal in the world. You're very lucky to be gifted such abilities, Camille."

\--

As the weeks go on, Angela begins her new job at the local clinic, riding the bike into town and back each morning and night. Fareeha stays home to babysit the girls and work on the now-flourishing garden, vegetables beginning to grow from the sprouts. 

During one of Fareeha’s trips into town, she spies an old motorcycle sitting idle outside one of the industrial hardware stores. It was considerably worn and hadn’t looked like it’d been loved or ridden in… who knows how long. She approached and gave it a once over, running a finger along old leather seats, inspecting the rust along the edges of the panels. The murky olive-green paint was more or less still intact, as well as the leather bags strapped to each side of each side of the seat. With a little bit of love and care, the bike could be restored easily.

“You like her?” Fareeha’s head whipped around to the voice. The shop clerk leaned against the frame of the doorway, arms folded with a soft smile pulling up the corners of his white beard. 

“Swiss Condor, right? She’s beautiful.” She replied, patting the old war bike. “How’s it run?”

“Not great,” the clerk admitted. “Haven’t ridden her in years, if I’m truthful. Nowhere to keep her either. Needs a good tune up and some tender loving care if she ever wants to get back on the road. If you know someone willing to give her a good home, they can take her.”

Fareeha pondered this for a moment. She’d been meaning to clear out the old shed in the backyard and considered making a small workshop with all the tools and gear inside. Fixing the bike up would both be a neat extra project and a method of transportation ever she needed to travel into town or elsewhere.

“I’ll take her. My daughter enjoys helping me in tinkering with things, so this will be nice for us.”

The two end-up chatting for some time outside the shop. He tells her a bit more about the old bike, they chat about Appenzell, being a man who’d spent his entire life in this small country town. He asks what brings her here and she has to try not to gush about her brilliant fiancé training to become a doctor. As kind as he was, she was all too eager to move along once the conversation drifted into chatting more about her family.

They eventually shake hands and part ways, and Fareeha pushes the Condor all the way back to her home, parking it beside the shed. She’d never admit that she felt almost as good bringing the bike home than the first time she held both of her daughters. 

\--

The girls continue to entertain themselves; Adelah practicing her hunting and tracking, never straying too far from home while Camille prefers to flip through her books and sit and watch her mother work in the garden. 

The townspeople catch word that the isolated family is growing food and offer their advice when needed, stopping by to check on their progress every so often. Fareeha invites them to join them on the porch for tea one day (the girls warily hide, watching the strangers talk to their mother from a distance.)

 

They learn that Appenzell has a system. Everybody has each other’s back. A local farmer brings them a few dozen freshly laid eggs and she repays them with newly ripened tomatoes. Another family offer her potato seeds, and Fareeha offers to repair the farmer’s tractor in return, claiming she knows a thing or two about engines from back when she studied mechanics; one of her pastime courses she picked up on her free time before moving over to doctoring and meeting Angela. 

 

Angela gets to know a lot of the villagers at the clinic since beginning her new job. Families, children, elderly. 

Whilst performing a check-up on a young girl, she chats to the child’s mother, Mrs. Hylda, a stay at home wife. 

“Looks like Anya is doing just fine! Blood pressure, weight, nerve response are all regular,” she concludes. 

“Good to hear!” Mother and daughter share a smile before she turns her attention back to Angela. “I think I’ve seen you in the general store before? With your two daughters?”

“Ah, yes,” Angela smiles. “We’ve not been living here too long, but we’re settling in just fine.”

“We thought you were just not wanting to be overly social with neighbours. There aren’t a lot of young mothers in the area so it’s nice to have you around. Are they old enough to start school?”

That catches Angela off guard. She busies herself with removing her latex gloves after the check-up, taking a moment to dispose of used tools, before reaching into her draw to pull out a lollipop for the little Anya’s good behaviour and smiling fondly as her face lights up. 

“I’m not sure if we…. Well we’re thinking of homeschooling them. My fiancé and I.” She admits, mildly. 

“Ahhh, I understand,” Mrs. Hylda says whilst collecting her things. Angela escorts them back out to the clinic lobby to say goodbye and call in the next patient. “Please don’t hesitate to call me if you need advice for anything, Angela.” 

“Thank you, ma’am, we’ll have to think about the schooling some more, I think.”

They bid each other farewell before Angela checks in with the doctor, getting the approval to call in the next patient, mind swimming with thoughts on whether it’d be a good idea for the girls to begin schooling so soon…

\--

Fareeha has dinner prepared by the time Angela arrives home from work: a fresh salad made with ingredients from their garden with herbed chicken. The leaves were beginning to wither as another winter was preparing to roll around for another year. Which meant no more crops for a few months until temperatures warmed up once more. The four of them sit around the table and Angela tells Fareeha about her earlier conversation on schooling. Before she can open her mouth to respond, Ade is first to pipe up.

“What’s kind of place is school? Why don’t we go?”

“That’s because…”

“Can I go to school!? I’m six years old now!” 

“You can’t just y-“

“I wanna!” 

“Adelah,” Fareeha speaks up sternly, the cutting parental authority made clear. “Mama and I will talk about it first, okay?”

“Urrrgh,” she pouts in response and shoves another forkful of lettuce into her mouth. 

The subject drops for the remainder of dinner, but Adelah doesn’t relent, taking every opportunity to bring it up in conversation once more, again and again. Angela leans against the kitchen counter, wiping the dishes clean while Ade sits in the corner, knees pulled up to her chin as she grumbles. “I know it’s because of our secret… but I’ll be careful, I promise.”

“I know you will sweetheart, but let me talk about it with your mother first.”

“Fiiine…”

Unfortunately, Adelah’s patience for an answer were null, for she was determined to rebel, even so subtly until her parents said yes. 

\--

Mr. and Mrs. Killian had stayed for coffee when they had delivered a sack of potatoes to the family. Even with the chill in the air, the blue skies were pristine, and the weather was impeccable, so Angela had opted to leave the wooden sliders open while they sat together at the coffee table, chatting. 

Angela had been telling them about her time studying when Mrs. Killian froze, coffee cup held halfway to her lips. The other two followed her gaze outside to see a scruffy brown jackal pup gazing back at them, gold eyes glinted. 

“Is that a… Dear, is that a fox?”

Angela paled, “er, no th-“

“Don’t be silly Miriam, it’s obviously some kind of schipper or somethin’.”

“No look at it! Doesn’t look like a pet dog to me. “It’s wearing a dress!”

Angela threw a warning look at Ade, who took a seat on the grass, lifting a leg to scratch behind her ear.

“What a cute little dog Angela. Didn’t know you had pets.”

“Oh, uhm. Y-yeah, she’s—“

“Hello Mr. Killian! Hello Mrs. Killian!” Came Adelah’s chipper voice as she bounded through the back door to the coffee table.

“My my, Ade,” the older woman chuckled, ruffling her hair. “You sure are energetic today. Oh look! You have the same dress as your dog. How cute is that, Frank.” 

Adelah responded with an innocent grin and bid them goodbye as she sprinted back outside again, disappearing for the fewest of seconds before reappearing in her jackal form again, bounding through the grass. 

Completely unawares to the one week's grounding about to get dumped on her for that risky rebellious stunt.

Angela sat quietly, mortified as the elderly couple crooned over the cute puppy in the dress and counting her blessings they never realised.

\--

“Isn’t it interesting that we moved here to escape from people’s eyes, but we ended up making so many more friends here in such a short time,” Angela mused aloud over the rim of her mug, enjoying the pleasant warmth at her fingertips as the first snow flurries begin to float from the sky. 

Fareeha hummed and huddled a little closer, draping the blanket over the both of their shoulders as they gaze out the window. “It’s so much colder out here than in the city.”

“Oh this is nothing yet, liebling. Wait until it really starts snowing.”

“Can’t wait,” Fareeha replied drily.

Angela sets her emptied mug on the bedside table and shuffles into Fareeha’s warm embrace. She plants a kiss on a faded scar stretching over Fareeha’s collarbone, smiling as she feels a pair of lips atop her head whilst deft fingers slip her hair tie out.

“You know… I was thinking. Maybe we could get married in the spring? I had a thought of something simple and outdoors. Perhaps under the old oak near the meadows? Lanterns and lights decorating the tree.” Angela suggests.

Fareeha has and always will tend to gravitate towards more low-key events. So they agreed to keep the event small, personal, with a plan to only invite a handful of folk to attend.

Fareeha hums in approval and squeezes her lover a little tighter. “Sounds perfect. Honestly, I could marry you in the living room and I’d be happy.”

 

They were roused in the early hours of the morning when something, rather someone, dive bombed onto the bed, shaking their shoulders.

“Mama! Mama! Umi, look! It snowed!”

Upon opening the wooden sliders to the backyard, the four of them collectively gasp at the spontaneous overnight creation that was the winter wonderland before them. Not a single part of land went untouched with knee-deep powder. With hardly a cloud in sight, the sun shone down, glimmering over the sea of white. 

Ade was the first to take the literal plunge, launching herself off the porch and into the snow, rolling in fits of giggles and kicking up the powder. Camille timidly followed, taking steady steps to catch up with her sister before tripping over the sheer deepness and landing face-first.

Angela turns to Fareeha, mischief gleaming in those blue eyes. She wraps an arm around the taller woman’s waist before she has even the chance to protest and dives into the powder, dragging Fareeha with her. Fareeha all but squawks at the coldness as they land squarely between the two kids, rolling onto their backs and pulling them close in their arms, laughing at each other’s faces caked in snow. The girls are the first to their feet, playing chasey in the snow.

The adrenaline and excitement of the morning sets the family running through the field, weaving and bounding through trees. In one fluid transition, Adelah kicks off her sleepwear and shifts to four paws, still wearing her pink scarf, never losing stride. Camille follows suit, though slightly less graceful, as she sprints alongside her sister. 

Angela and Fareeha follow behind, hand in hand, nowhere near as fast as their daughters but still enjoying the freedom of running together. Fareeha looks over at Angela, pale cheeks blooming a rosy colour simultaneously from the cold and running, hot breath coming out in puffs with each exhale. Her blue eyes filled with exhilaration and wonder. 

And Fareeha realises in all of their years together, this was the first time Angela had come out with her, the first time she’s gotten to experience this kind of freedom. As much as she wanted to feel the snow beneath her paws, there was so much more thrill and enjoyment to running with the love of her life. 

Camille and Adelah’s laughter can be heard ahead as the trees taper out into a clearing, and suddenly they’re flying through a sea of blue skies and into the open meadows. The four of them are skidding down the white hill, kicking up powder in their wake. The kids run alongside the parents on all fours.

Angela is the first to lose her balance, pulling Fareeha down with her in a tangle of limbs. Adelah jumps and divebombs the two of them followed by Camille. And then the four of them erupt from the snow, adrenaline and spirits high, the two jackal children throwing their heads back to howl at the sky. Fareeha squeezes Angela’s hand and nods in encouragement before inhaling deeply and howling to the skies above, proudly smiling when her fiancé cups her own mouth with her hands and howls in unison. As a family.

They cry out until they can no longer, and fall back into the snow, silly grins plastered on all their faces as they laugh and pant to catch their breaths. The echoes of their howls still carry through the valley far away.

On the track back home, the kids pad ahead through the trees on their own, while Angela and Fareeha stroll hand in hand, enjoying their time together. Angela tilts her head, a silly smile still on her face. Fareeha glances over an raises an eyebrow questioningly, her own smile still shone. “I’ve never, never ever seen Camille laugh like that before. Genuinely enjoying herself,” Angela remarks. “She has such a pretty laugh.”

“Moving out here was the best thing we could have done for them both. They’ve both grown so much already,” Fareeha agrees. 

 

Further ahead, Camille stops by a river, lapping at the ice-cold water when a splash catches her attention. A kingfisher perches upon a rock in the distance, a freshly caught fish in its beak. Camille looks around for her sister or mothers to find herself alone. The adrenaline from their frolic in the snow had long subsided, but residual determination still lingered. Much too preoccupied with its catch, it fails to notice the keen pair of amber eyes bearing down on it in those precious seconds that may have cost it it’s life when the young jackal pup makes her move, pouncing upon the kingfisher, entrapping it in her jaws. Camille stands proud upon the rock, tail wagging, bird hanging limp from her mouth. She’s keen to show her mothers and especially her sister her accomplishment. 

When she moves to step to the next rock, the snow coating the tops dislodges, and paws slip along with it, sending Camille toppling into the rushing stream, submerging her. 

A few seconds pass without a trace of life below the rapid flowing stream.

The first to emerge is the kingfisher, miraculously alive and fleeing to safety. Camille surfaces soon after, gasping for air, paws thrashing helplessly to keep her afloat as the currents drag her down-stream. 

“U--Umi! Mam-- m--!” She all but chokes out as water rushes into her mouth, threatening to pull her back under the water. 

Adelah is the first to heed Camille’s cries and runs to the river bank. “Mama! Umi! Cami’s fallen!”

Fareeha hears them and whips back around, immediately sprinting to the source of her daughter’s cries. She catches sight of Adelah running down alongside the stream in the distance calling out to her sister who is being dragged mercilessly through the currents, wailing out for help, tiny arms fighting to keep her afloat, to grab hold of anything she can possibly grip. 

Fareeha sprints, matching Adelah’s four-legged pace. Her legs burn agonisingly, lungs igniting with white hot pain from the cold and strain as she races to keep up with her daughter. Ardent brown eyes only ever leaving Camille for a fraction of a second to mind her step as she leaps to the next icy rock in her path and ducking low-hanging branches. She’s close enough to hear Camille’s distress above the roar of the current. She’s so close.

Her cries for help cut off with a distinct thud as her body collides with a rock.

And then Camille does not resurface. 

Angela can only hear the splash and Adelah calling out for Fareeha and Camille. She finally catches up to the scene. Adelah was standing by the bank watching the surface of the water for any signs of life as her mother approaches. Angela falls to her knees, pulling her oldest into her arms and watching the water anxiously.

There’s a horrible, stomach churning silence that follows.

Until Fareeha resurfaces with a gasp; Camille hangs limp in her arms, but held tightly to her chest as she paddles to the shoreline, dragging them both up and out of the water and collapsing from the exhaustion. 

“Camille! Oh gott, Camille, Camille!” Angela drops down beside them, pulling their youngest into her arms. “Open your eyes, sweetheart!”

Adelah moves to Fareeha, who still lays panting and soaked on the snowy bank. The young girl yanks off her scarf with her teeth and offers it to her mother, before nuzzling in beside her to warm her up. Soft whines emit from her throat. Fareeha wordlessly brings a heavy hand to her daughter's head, ruffling the fur in appreciation and reassurance. 

Angela lays Camille flat on her back, holding her hands over her chest and pressing down in rapid succession with shaking hands before pinching her nose and blowing into the girl’s mouth in effort to resuscitate her. She begs, pleads in panicked sobs for her little girl to wake up, to open her eyes.

Camille responds at last, coughing up any water in her lungs, soft brown eyes flutter open. “Oh mein gott, Camille, spatzli,” Angela weeps in relief, pulling her daughter into her arms, whispering words of comfort and reassurance in her native tongue.

“Mama… That’s… too tight.”

“Cami!” She pulls away to look down at her. Wet hair plastered along her face. Even with her dark complexion, her skin is noticeably paler, lips now purple and yet, the girl was smiling weakly. She lay shivering in her mother’s arms, but she was smiling up at her.

“I found a crested kingfisher. It was a really nice-looking bird. I felt like even I could catch it today,” she explains through her trembling. She looks down at her hand, flexing her fingers “It was completely different from how it usually feels. I wasn’t scared. Suddenly, I felt like I could do anything. So then I—”  
Camille pauses, noticing the tears rolling down Angela’s cheeks. “Why are you crying?”

She turns to Adelah and Fareeha, who was now sitting, face buried in her hands. Ade is looking back at Camille with concern etched on her features. She looks back up at Angela, suddenly confused as to what had just transpired. “What are we doing here…?”

Angela pulls her back in for another hug, shuffling in closer to pull her fiancé and daughter in as well, when the dam breaks and she sobs loudly. She cries out in relief, she cries from the fear of nearly losing her daughter. Fareeha finally curls an arm around her and weeps with Angela. Fresh snow flurries begin to drift from the sky and land on the family. 

 

Things are never quite the same after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back from vacationnnn


	13. First day of school

Fareeha treads through ankle deep snow. The frigid chill nips at her, saps her strength, but she presses on to a destination that even she is not sure of yet. She can only trudge on, numbly, through the endless forest of white.

A child’s scream pierces the wind and Fareeha’s head whips to the direction of the source.

“Camille?” she whispers.

“Umi!”

The scream comes from a different direction and she turns to it, calling for her daughter. “Camille!”

“U-umi! Help!” Again, the voice comes from behind and it has Fareeha turning in circles, desperate to pinpoint where the pleas cry from. 

She starts to run, trusting the desperation of her instincts. “Camille!” Her voice is lost in the wind as it picks up it’s savage howl in response. The snow builds, and her pace slows, dragging her feet desperately as she brings her hands up to shield her face from the onslaught of fierce snowfall. 

But she can’t stop.

Her daughter is out there calling for her.

She opens her mouth to cry out again, but it proves to be futile as the storm tears her voice away.

And yet the snow continues to rise at a terrifying rate. It’s up to her waist now and she’s wading, desperately clawing at the ice to move forward. 

And then she’s jerking awake in her bedsheets, a soft hand cupping her cheek, the other grasping her own clammy hand. 

“I’m here liebling. Just another nightmare. Camille’s safe.”

Through the darkness of their room, Angela’s voice comes from somewhere close to her own face, soothing her anxieties. Fareeha exhales shakily, running a hand through her hair.  
She rolls to her side to meet her lover’s open embrace, curling into her chest as she regains her wits. Angela’s hand finds the spot between her shoulder blades and gently skims her nails up and down the length of her spine, drawing imaginary patterns in her skin. 

“Same dream?”

“Yeah…” 

Since the incident in the river, the winter weeks had been solemn. Camille had become notably more reclusive than usual, even after her hypothermic recovery. Fareeha was plagued by nightmares on the regular, where she was never able to save her daughter. 

The first several nights, Fareeha would bolt awake in a cold sweat, throw back the sheets and sprint to the kids’ room to make sure the girls were still there. And there they always were, laying blissfully curled up with their stuffed toys under their sheets. Angela would often dream of the moment where she had to perform CPR on her own daughter. Not nearly as vivid as Fareeha's own dreams, but equally as terrifying for a parent. She busies herself with work to keep her mind off things, neglecting breaks and pulling extra hours. At night she would hold Fareeha close, a comfort to both of them, and shed quiet tears when her body finally slowed, and her mind would catch up after a day of non-stop work,

Both Angela and Fareeha empathised in the fact that they’d never been more frightened in their life over almost losing their little girl. 

 

They kept as busy as they could through the winter months as distraction. 

Wedding plans were a beacon of excitement and positivity that kept things warm and cheerful.

Angela took greater strides in her work at the clinic. So much so that the Doctor mentoring loosened the reins more and more, allowing her to spread her wings and flourish as her own blooming doctor. She threw herself into personal research and theses, her brilliant mind churning out new ideas to implement in the future to make the world a better place, no doubt. 

Fareeha found part time work in maintenance around the village after word got out about her help in the tractor repair as well as renovating the desolate heap of rotted wood into the home she lives in now with her family. She spends her off time getting back to work on their garden once the last of the winter chill subsides.

The winter proved to be long and miserable, but spring came through eventually. 

Adelah so desperately wanted to go to elementary school with all the other children, and finally won out the argument, on the condition that she was on her best behaviour. A far cry for a young girl with a knack for getting into mischief, but she persisted enough to change her parents’ minds. Much to Fareeha’s anxiety. 

Angela sat in the girls’ room, tucking them in for an early night. Adelah’s brand new backpack sat packed and ready for her first day of elementary school tomorrow.

“Now, remember, no matter what happens—“”

“I won’t turn into a jackal. I know already!” 

“Don’t forget our promise.”

“I’ll be fine!” Adelah grumbles as Angela sits at the edge of her bed. She reaches out and takes Ade’s hand in her own, placing something small and cold in the tiny palm. Adelah pulls her hand away to inspect it: a small silver banded ring.

The girl inspects the ring, slipping the much-too big band over her tiny finger. “What’s this?” She asks, addressing the strange writing etched into the silver. 

Angela takes the ring back and loops a small chain through the centre. “It says ‘taʻahhud’. Do you know what that means?” Adelah tilts her head in confusion and Angela goes on to explain. “It’s a word from Umi’s language. It means promise. This is a very special ring that Umi gave me a long time ago when we made each other an important promise. I want you to look after it for me. Can you do that?”

Ade nods eagerly as Angela slips the chain over the girl’s head and takes her small hands to clasp them over the metal ring. 

“When you wear this promise ring, it will stop you from turning jackal. Because it’s a promise you made. Hold it in your hands, close to your heart, like you are now.” Angela smiles at the determined fire lit in Adelah’s eyes, to look after this precious ring for her mother. She leaves the girl with a final kiss on the forehead, tucking her in for good this time. 

Ade falls asleep clutching the ring in her hand.

\--

The first day of school kicks off with as much enthusiasm as expected from Adelah Amari-Ziegler; practically dragging her parents out of bed so they’re not late for the bus coming in two hours. She’s dressed and ready, uniform on, backpack on and bouncing on the balls of her feet on the front porch well and truly before it was time to leave. 

Angela took the morning off work to go with Fareeha and Camille to the first day of school ceremony to welcome all the fresh faces. They spot a mop of unruly brown hair towards the front of the hall, sitting amongst the rest of the first graders. 

Ade looks around the hall, suddenly nerved by the sheer amount of people in the room. Far more than she’d ever been used to. Her eyes catch a familiar group sitting some rows back and she waves. Fareeha and Angela wave back to her, proud smiles on their faces, Camille on Fareeha’s lap.

Her nerves were only temporary and she easily slips into her new routine. Skipping out the door promptly at 7:35am every morning after saying goodbye to her mothers to catch the bus. 

She hit the ground running with anything and everything school had to throw at her.

Literally. 

She all but left the boys in the dust during their boys versus girls race in their P.E class, sprinting across the finish line and into the arms of the team cheering her own from the sidelines.

“Wow Adelah you’re so fast!”

“Adelah beat the boys!”

She made friends fast.

When the teacher asked a question to the class, she was poised and ready to answer, practically knocking her books off her desk with the enthusiasm used to throw her hands in the air.

Her lunches were double the size of all the kids, and yet she wolfed them down with ease. 

Though her enthusiasm led to occasional scolding, being caught running through the halls. 

When playing in the meadows of the school yard, the girls would make flower crowns, swapping them amongst each other while Ade searched for something in the grass. 

“Wooow Sofia, yours is so pretty”

“So is yours Emelia!”

“I found a four-leaf clover!”

“Did you find anything cool, Ade?”

All heads turn to the busy girl sifting through the grass. When she turns, there is a grin on her face, “Yeah! Look!” She hoists a small snake in the air in triumph and the girls run screaming back to the class room, leaving Adelah alone and confused with a harmless rat snake coiled around her arm.

Ade slowly comes to the realisation that no other girls played with snakes and bugs for fun. 

She quickly realised she was the only girl who had a collection of small animal bones and dried reptiles, whereas the other girls had cute jewellery boxes with shiny things inside brought in for show and tell.

In fact, she was the only girl that really stood out. And it was embarrassing. 

 

Angela couldn’t help but giggle when her usually tomboyish daughter came home from school requesting a new dress to wear, so she could be more ladylike.

“Why not just be yourself, schatz?”

“Because I don’t want people looking at me funny!” The girl protested.

“Okay, okay! We’ll sort something out for you.”

Ever the talented seamstress Angela was, she managed to craft a new dress for her daughter. On the wall of Angela’s home office, hung a white wedding gown beside its partnered black trousers and white button-up, newly sewn by herself for her and Fareeha’s special day coming up.

Thanks to Adelah’s new dress (or at least she believed it was the dress), she found her niche in class, toning down her enthusiasm, trying to behave more like a normal little girl so that she could fit in.

A subconscious shift in life began developing within Adelah from then on. 

\--

Angela lets out a long sigh, not the first of the night, as she sits back in her office chair to stretch her shoulders and arms above her head. Her noticeably-gnawed pen sits discarded besides dozens of scribbled and discarded papers. The laptop sits idle off to the side, writing program left open with a half-written paragraph, punctuated by the rhythmic flashing of the text cursor. She barely notices the crack of light that floods into the dimly-lit office nor the soft footsteps approaching behind, until she feels the familiar comfort of her lover’s arms wrap around her own from behind.

Angela practically melts into the embrace and they’re quiet for a moment, before Fareeha drops a quick kiss to her temple and murmurs, “It’s your last night as an unmarried woman and you wanna spend it doing paperwork?”

“Just typing up a few study notes,” Angela sighs and places her reading glasses on the desk. “But I think it’s time to call it a night.”

The warmth around her vanishes when Fareeha steps back, only to be replaced by strong fingers threading gently through her hair and idly massaging her scalp. “Come for a walk with me?”

The moonlight alone is enough to illuminate their path as they walk hand in hand through the field of ankle-high grass. It was an old tradition of their’s, one they hadn’t done with just the two of them in six years. Just enjoying each other’s company as they walk. 

Angela is first to break the silence. “Are you nervous for tomorrow?”

Fareeha is quite for a moment before answering, “A little. I mean… In the end, we’ve been together closer to eight years? We have two perfect daughters, got our own house, our own jobs… Adelah’s already started school. We’ve been living the married life as far as I’m concerned. I just get to officially call you my wife now, which is pretty neat.” She grins down at her fiancé. 

“It’s a shame we couldn’t contact Reinhardt, Jack and the rest of your mother’s friends in time to invite them along to see you. I know they were like family to you.”

“Ahhh it’s okay,” Fareeha sighed. “Sure, it would be nice to invite them but I’m glad our wedding is staying small. I’ll see them again someday, I’m sure. Maybe we can take a vacation with the kids up to Germany and Sweden to see them. Torbjorn has such a soft spot for kids and I think Ade would definitely fan over his workshop. Something tells me her and Brigitte would click very nicely as friends.”

“Perhaps honeymoon plans for the future?”

“It’s a plan,” Fareeha confirmed, wrapping her arms around her fiancé and leaning down to brush noses softly. Angela reaches up on the tips of her toes to meet Fareeha’s lips quickly, before nuzzling her face into her fiancé’s neck, planting tender kisses along faded scars.  
She feels arms tighten around her for a brief moment when her world turns sideways and suddenly Fareeha is hovering above her with millions of stars illuminating the skies behind her as she stretches out in the grass.

Fareeha shrugs off her jacket, folding it and putting it behind Angela’s head. She takes a moment to gaze into her fiancé’s lovely blue eyes, sparkling with the starlight’s reflection and reaches to cup her jaw. Angela turns her head just enough to kiss her palm. Her idle hands bunch into Fareeha’s shirt, pulling the other woman into her waiting embrace. 

“I love you,” she breathes softly as their lips meet once more. Angela’s arms come to wrap around Fareeha’s neck, burying them in her hair as her lover’s own hands brush blonde bangs from her eyes, a calloused thumb caressing her cheek gently as they deepen the kiss. 

After some minutes, tender kisses became more fervent and hands began to wander elsewhere along bodies. Fareeha pulls back mere inches, a little breathless, lips already bruising. “Perhaps we should move this inside?”

“No fun,” Angela pouts, squeezing Fareeha’s backside playfully. She responds with a breathy chuckle and moves to stand, hoisting her fiancé up into a bridal carry and sets off back through the field towards their home.

“Getting some practice in for tomorrow?” Angela comments with a grin, resting her head on her lover’s chest. Fareeha raises a challenging eyebrow at Angela and shifts the bundle in her arms, effectively hoisting Angela up over her shoulder, chuckling at the surprised squeal reaction. 

“I planned on carrying you over the threshold like this, actually,” Fareeha responds, patting Angela’s backside a couple times before continuing back home. 

Despite the initial eagerness to get back to their own bed for some “cuddling,” they mournfully both agree it was better to sleep early that night.

They had tomorrow night to look forward to anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> REEEE WEDDING NEXT CHAPTER. I cried writing it ya'll. I hope you love it ;w; 
> 
> Please leave a comment with any feedback if you can too, guys. I like to know if I'm doing the Wolf children story and Pharmercy family justice (ha) and if i need to change or improve things :3 
> 
> Thank you as always to Lunari for beta'ing <3


	14. Wedding

Angela stood before the full body mirror in her bedroom, inhaling deeply and huffing.

“It’s okay to be nervous, Ängeli,” Came Miriam’s voice from the vanity across the room.

“I’m not nervous. Not that much,” Angela countered. “Just…. Okay, maybe a little bit.”

The older woman chuckles, stepping back to the mirror to thread the last few details into Angela’s hair. An array of small white daisies, handpicked from the Killian’s garden are threaded through golden tresses that had been tied and weaved into an elegant bun. 

“I was a darn wreck on my wedding day. You’re handling it admirably, Angela. And I think… we’re done here,” she finishes, planting the final flower and stepping back to admire her handiwork.

Miriam and Frank Killian had become their closest friends since moving to Appenzell. They were none the wiser to the Amari-Ziegler’s family secret, sure, but they’ve expressed nothing but genuine kindness to the young family. Camille and Adelah both seemed to adore them, and not just because Frank would sneak them a candy when they visited for tea every so often.

Angela had approached the older couple with the request that they could bare witness to the marriage between herself and Fareeha. Of course, they were all too delighted to oblige, even honoured. Miriam had asked if Angela’s family would be traveling to attend the wedding. Angela explained about her parents’ untimely death when she was younger and that Fareeha also had none to speak of. Thus, they never really planned on inviting an audience to the wedding, wishing to keep the ceremony lowkey.

And here Angela stands before her reflection, just an hour away from walking down the aisle to be with the woman she loves so dearly. Camille and Adelah are both dressed in matching dresses; white with light floral patterns detailing them. Miriam had so kindly woven a pair of flower crowns out of the white daisies for the girls to wear.

Meanwhile, Fareeha agrees to get ready in the Killian household, wanting to uphold the tradition of not seeing Angela in her dress until she is escorted down the aisle to her. Securing the last few of her golden beads to the braids in her neatly tied back hair, she gives herself another once-over, smoothing out her shirt and trousers and breathing a sigh when Frank claps her on the shoulder. “Looking sharp!” He comments.

\--

The venue was simple, lowkey. Angela and Fareeha had decided to host it beneath the shade of a massive old oak tree atop a grassy hill overlooking the town. An array of lanterns hung from the branches, illuminating below in a dim light as the sun had begun its descent over the valley. The marriage officiant stood at the foot of the tree and the end of a makeshift aisle of small candles. On either side of him stood Miriam and Frank, as well as Fareeha, nervously rolling her shoulders as she waited for her wife-to-be to arrive. A small group of townsmen, friends that had been made over the last few years were all seated and waiting excitedly for the bride to arrive.

The tell-tale giggling of Adelah could be heard in the distance followed by an exasperated whine of, “Mamaaa, tell Ade to stop.” Angela’s gentle chiding followed.

And then there she was. Like a sun rising over the hillside.

Approaching the candlelit aisle with their two gorgeous daughters.

Adelah skipped ahead with basket in hand, grabbing fistfuls and throwing them in the air forming some semblance of a trail as Angela and Camille followed behind, the youngest carrying the wedding rings as they approached the small group at the base of the tree. 

Fareeha felt her mouth turn dry as Angela approached. The nervous pit in her stomach lurching and exploding into butterflies. She’d seen the dress hanging up in the study, but never worn until now. The way it hugged Angela’s curves so elegantly, tapering out around her legs into a flowing gown. And oh, how beautiful her hair looked tied back and decorated with flowers, crowned with a simple white veil pinned into her bun, covering her face.  
Fareeha felt a hand on her shoulder, giving her a quick reassuring shake as Angela finally reached them, smiling shyly.

“Hey,” she whispered.

“You look beautiful,” was the first thing that Fareeha could formulate coherently as she tentatively reached forward to remove the veil, leaving a lingering hand on her cheek before dropping them to take Angela’s own hands in hers.

Angela giggled, blush rising on her cheeks. “And you look incredibly handsome.” Her smile widening as Fareeha puffed up a little. Adelah and Camille stand close by. They shoot each other a look, screwing their faces up at their mothers’ mushy display. The officiant between them cleared his throat, grabbing their attention back and suddenly they remembered the large group of people around, all eyes on them.

“Shall we begin?” The officiant asks. The two women nod and the ceremony begins. “Friends and family of Fareeha Amari and Angela Ziegler, welcome and thank you for being here on this important day. We are gathered here today to celebrate the very special love between Angela and Fareeha, by joining them in marriage. Not just to share the joy in their love, but to reaffirm and appreciate the love and friendship we experience in our own lives.

Angela and Fareeha, your marriage today is the public and legal joining of your souls that have already been united as one in your hearts. Marriage is going to expand you as individuals, define you as a couple and deepen your love for one another.  
“To be successful, you will need strength, courage, patience and a really good sense of humor.”

“No troubles there,” Fareeha murmured, grinning at Angela who bit her lip, suppressing another giggle.

“Love isn’t just a word; it’s an action. Love isn’t something you say, it’s something you do. Love is genuine, honest, and open, compassionate and kind, passionate and blind, love doesn’t know space or time, nor look through jealous eyes, and in the modified words of Paul in his letter to the Corinthians, ‘Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never dies.’

“There are many different kinds of love, almost if not all of which, are represented here today. There is romantic love, the love of parents and children, of brothers and sisters and family, and love among friends.”

Fareeha feels the knot in her throat rise as the grounding realisation sinks in and she takes a shuddering breath. She feels Angela’s hand squeeze her own, their eyes never once breaking each other’s gaze.

“Angela, may I invite you to speak your vows,” the celebrant asks. She nods and swallows thickly.

“Fareeha, I take you to be my wife. I will love you unconditionally and without hesitation, for it is your heart that moves me, your spirit that inspires me, your humour that delights me, and your hand I want to hold for all of our days as we continue to raise our perfect little family.” Sky blue eyes begin to glisten with tears and she pauses a moment to blink them away, to no avail.

“I promise to love, respect, and trust you, and give you the best of myself, for I know that together we will build a life far better than either of us could imagine alone.”

 _Gods, you’ve already given me that and so much more,_ Fareeha thought fondly.

“Thank you Angela. Fareeha, may I invite you to speak your vows.”

“Angela… I take you to be my wedded wife. I promise to encourage your compassion, because that’s what makes you unique and wonderful. I promise to nurture your dreams, because through them your soul shines. I promise to help shoulder our challenges, for there is nothing we cannot face if we stand together.” Her breath hitches and she exhales shakily, willing the knot in her throat stay put.

“I can never thank you enough for how much you’ve changed my life. Changed myself. And I fear I’ll never be able to truly express it how happy you make me. You’ve given me a life that I’d long ago dismissed as an impossibility for myself… I pledge my love, devotion, faith and honour as I give you my heart. This is my sacred vow to you, my equal in all things. A'yza afdl ma'ak 'ala tool. Enta agmal haga fe hayaty. Ana ahabik ktheer habibti.”

The tears were rolling free now for both Angela and Fareeha, and many of the spectators. The air shifted with the mood as the guests sniffled and awwed at the lovers’ words.

“Now I ask, do you, Angela, take this woman to be your wife. To love her unconditionally, through sickness and in health, ‘til death do you part?”

“I do,” she uttered, voice cracking.

“And do you, Fareeha, take this woman to be your wife. To love her unconditionally, through sickness and in health, ‘til death do you part?”

“I do,” Fareeha sniffed and exhaled, squaring her shoulders and repeating more confidently. “I do.”

“Will you, Angela and Fareeha, be each other’s partners from this day forward? Will you bring out the best in one another, share your happiest moments together, and love each other absolutely – for the rest of this lifetime and whatever may come next.”

Blue eyes met brown, sure and absolute. “We will,” they both reply.

The officiant looks down at Camille who nervously fiddles with the box in her hands. “May I have the rings please, little one?” She passes the box to him and he presents it to Angela and Fareeha so that they can slip the ring on each other’s fingers for the second time in their lives.

“By the power of love and commitment, and the power vested in me, I now pronounce you wife and wife, Mrs. Amari-Ziegler. You may kiss the bride.”

The crowd’s eruption of applause and cheers fall deaf on the lovers’ ears as they embrace each other so tightly to kiss. Fareeha curls her arms around Angela’s waist, leaning her backwards to kiss her deeply as the blonde’s arms wrap around her neck. They pull apart, to press their foreheads against each other, noses brushing as they laugh and sob, fresh tears dampening their cheeks.  
\--

The evening is spent in celebration and high spirits. Angela and Fareeha had invited the guests of the wedding back to their home afterwards for dinner – and everyone had bought a dish to share. Adelah and Camille played with the children outside, playing tag in the field while the adults conversed and drank. Before their first dance, the newly weds cut the cake together after Camille tugged on Angela's dress, telling her Ade had already swiped her finger through the icing to "taste test". They had cleared the living room to make space for a dance floor, Fareeha and Angela traditionally sharing their first dance together in each other’s arms, waltzing around the room with gigantic grins plastered on their faces before the other guests joined in. Just a few weeks ago, the two of them had been looking up wedding dance tutorial videos on YouTube, linking hands awkwardly, stepping on each other’s feet, tangling legs, knocking heads and tripping over, for neither had barely danced in their life before.

A photo had been taken of the newlyweds dancing with their daughters that would later be framed and added to the collection on top of the bookshelf. Angela with Camille in her arms and Fareeha holding Adelah’s hands as the girl stood on her feet to dance with her.

The night ended relatively early, most guests clearing out before midnight. Fareeha opted to tidy up the place a little while Angela carried two very tuckered out little girls to their beds, their eyes drifting shut as soon as their heads rested upon their pillows. Angela took a moment to watch her sleeping daughters lay peacefully, reaching to pluck any flowers still embedded in their hair.

As Fareeha cleared the last of the disposable plates from the table, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, familiar warmth pressing against her back. She straightened up, not turning around, bringing her hands to cover the slender ones holding her. “You looked so beautiful today,” she said softly.

“And you were absolutely stunning, yourself.” At her full height, Angela only reached Fareeha’s shoulders when she felt her forehead nestle at the base of her neck. Together they rocked gently in silence, music long ago turned off.

Fareeha turned in her embrace, bringing her hands to rest on her wife’s shoulders, Angela’s remaining at her mid-section. They continued to sway, resting foreheads on one another’s, planting soft kisses and whispering sweet nothings as they moved. A step to the right, backwards, to the left, forwards, and to the right once more. Angela kissed her once on the lips, deep and long, grazing her nose along Fareeha’s cheek to place another on a sharp cheekbone. Her hands gently tugging and untucking Fareeha’s shirt loose from her trousers, moving to make work of the buttons, deftly loosening them one by one. “I think it’s bed time for us too,” Angela murmured. 

She felt the warm exhale of Fareeha’s chuckle. “Yes ma’am,” was all she heard before Fareeha’s hands slid down her behind to her thighs and hoisted her wife up, Angela’s legs automatically wrapping around Fareeha’s body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:  
> A'yza afdl ma'ak 'ala tool = I want to be with you forever  
> Enta agmal haga fe hayaty = You are the best thing in my life.  
> Ana ahabik ktheer = I love you so much
> 
> Please feel free to offer suggestions or corrections to these if anything is wrong!\
> 
> \---
> 
> ;W;  
> They finally did it aaaaaaaaaa. This was an emotional ride, writing this chapter sdfsgserg. But one of my favs!
> 
> NOTE:  
> Updates may be a little slower from here on! I haven't had much time to write recently and my chapters are starting to catch up to the current point I'm at (I think i have 3 chapters left til it catches up). So I'll slow down a bit and try to get ahead on the writing now that i've finished and uploaded my comic


	15. Doctor Angela Ziegler

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for a bit of a wait between chapters =A= I worked 11 days straight and i'm literally just working, going to sleep, then work again. Been too frazzled to even remember to upload.
> 
> I hope this chapter was worth it tho! Gave me feelz writing it

Fareeha slipped outside in the early hours of the morning, just in time for the first sun rays to peak over the mountain range to warm her skin and cast a sheen of sparkling light over the morning dew-covered field.

She goes about her routine, shrugging off her sleepwear and stretching out the stiffness in her muscles when a small voice comes from behind. “Umi?” Fareeha turns to find Camille standing in the doorway, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“Cami, you’re awake early.”

“Mmhhm.” The girl looks at her feet bashfully, toying with the hem of her shirt. “I was wondering if… maybe I can come too? With you.”

Fareeha would be lying if she said she wasn’t at least a little taken aback by her daughter’s request to come for a run with her. Typically, it was Adelah that was eager and chomping at the bit to get out there. She wondered if perhaps the key in Camille’s confidence was learning at a different pace rather than withering under the sheer energy constantly projected from her sister.

Even as a baby, Camille had gravitated to Fareeha’s calm, sturdy energy and the one-on-one time would surely do wonders for them now on their runs.

“Of course, habibti. Is there something you’d like me to teach?”

Camille shakes her head. “No, I just… Want to be out there,” her eyes lift to glance at the wilds.

 _Ah_ , Fareeha thinks, _so you feel it too_. 

That instinctual pull to run free.

Fareeha ruffles the girl’s hair and steps back into the house. “Have some breakfast before we go, okay? I’ll go let mama know you’ll be with me.”

\--

The months rolled on and soon enough Angela was celebrating her thirtieth birthday and her graduation was just around the corner.

Fourteen years of tedious study, two degrees and a master’s degree, over a year in practicals, all-nighters, litres of coffee consumed, almost an entire forest worth of papers submitted – granted she had taken some extra time due to having her family, she still managed to graduate at a faster-than-normal pace – and Angela Ziegler was due to receive her doctorate back in Zurich.

Fareeha had wanted to surprise her wife with plane tickets to Gothernburg, Sweden to visit her family friends. But they’d recently been discussing interest in purchasing a car, now that the two had jobs. Adelah was perfectly content in catching the bus to school with all her friends, and Fareeha had her Condor but the convenience of a car was undeniable. And so, their savings went towards their new purchase and a holiday for just Fareeha and Angela to take some time off when they travel into Zurich for Angela’s graduation ceremony.

Camille expressed no interest in returning to the city and preferred to stay back, and Adelah both wanted to stay at school and wanted her parents to enjoy their time together. Despite their young ages, they’ve continually proved their ability to take care of themselves, thanks to their time spent under Fareeha’s wing in the wilds, honing the ability to self defend, and self sustain. They were beyond their years in wiseness than most children their ages would be. Much to Angela’s internal anxiousness of leaving her babies alone for the first time in her life. 

Just for a couple of days.

“Remember Mr. and Mrs. Killian’s number is pinned to the fridge if you need anything.”

“I know.”

“They’ll be stopping by a few times a day to check in on you and bring some meals.”

“Yeah.”

“And the emergency numbers are…”

“One one seven, police. One one eight, fire department. One four four, ambulance.”

“And remember to lock the doors at n—”

“Mamaaa,” Ade whined, “I know, I know. We’ll be okay.”

Angela smiled, and pulled her into a hug. She gestured at Camille to come join the hug, who was standing quietly, watching. She embraced her two babies as Fareeha loaded their last bag into the car beside them.

“I love you both, so so much.”

“I love you too, mama,” they both mumbled against her before Angela stood again.

Fareeha knelt to take her place, pulling the two girls into another quick hug. She planted a quick kiss on both of their heads and murmured for them to “be good, stay safe. We’ll be home on Monday.”

The two mothers pulled out of their driveway, swallowing their anxieties and sparring one last wave and their little ones watching on from the porch of the house, and then they were on their way back to Zurich, leaving Appenzell for the first time since moving to the new house.

With Angela’s ceremony and valedictory dinner on Saturday, they had all of Sunday to enjoy their brief time together before returning home. But for today, they were content just stop by the university and get what they needed prepared for tomorrow and go straight to the hotel.

\--

They were met with Switzerland’s crisp clear weather on the day of the ceremony, conventionally held outdoors. The area was divided into a sea of black-cloaked graduation students, waiting in anticipation for their class to be called on stage for their presentation, while the other section was filled with spectators – Friends, family and peers alike filled the rows and rows of chairs.

Fareeha sat between two families here for their son or daughter. She’d enlightened them with a brief conversation, saying she was here for her wife (she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t puffed her chest a little at saying ‘her wife’), offering a short congratulation and then falling silent, adjusting her sunglasses back over her eyes and keeping to herself for the rest of the ceremony. She fidgeted with the button of her cuff, sliding back in her chair a little as the headmaster droned on his long-winded speech about another fantastic year and how joyous he felt for all the bright faces in the crowd ready to start their next chapter in life yadda yadda. Her eyes roamed the see of graduation hats for the umpteenth time in hopes of being able to spot Angela before it was her class’ time to take the stage to receive their degrees and doctorates.

She’d perked up at the mention of doctorates before realising there were graduating students for physicians, medicine, veterinary and dental and the list went on.  
Until finally, _finally_ , Angela’s class was called upon. And low and behold, her beautiful wife sat front and centre amongst them all on stage. The head of the course began her own speech once the crowd fell silent from another round of applause. Fareeha sat up straighter, watching Angela sit poised and professional, but her blue eyes roam the sea of people until falling on her and immediately she pursed her lips, trying not to break composure when Fareeha gives her the tiniest of waves, wiggling her fingers with that darned charming lopsided grin. Angela gives her the discreetest of waves in return, barely lifting her hand from her lap. The nerves were starting to show in her face now.

One by one, students began to be called upon, walking across the stage, shaking the headmaster’s hand as they receive the piece of paper they’d worked almost a third of their life for.

Saving the best for last, appropriately of course, with a surname beginning with Z, the headmaster returned to the podium to make one final speech.

“And last, but certainly not least, I want to take a moment to appraise one of our best and brightest. Coming into her course at the tender age of sixteen after being granted early entry amongst her scholarship. Though, you may not have seen her in some time, we can assure you she’s been hard at work studying off campus, never missing a single online lecture or deadline, passing up the opportunity to work in one of our country's best hospitals in favour of raising her family and working in just a small doctor’s practice in Appenzell.

“I would like to invite Doctor Angela Ziegler to the podium to receive both her undergraduate, masters and doctorate degrees, with the highest commendation and praise. You will certainly continue on to do great things for this world, please join me in congratulating Doctor Ziegler.” The headmaster concluded and stepped back from the microphone, applauding as the sea of people before them followed suit, erupting in cheers and thunderous applause, rising from their seats to congratulate the blushing doctor as she moved across the stage to seal her fourteen years of hard work with a firm handshake and a quick exchange of thank you’s. Her course master handed her a bouquet of flowers and finally, she turned to the crowd, emotions welling over as she dabbed at the free-falling tears, watching the crowd all cheering for her, blinking away the wetness and against flashes of cameras.

Like a beacon, Fareeha stood the tallest and proudest (Angela quickly realised she was standing on her chair), tears rolling down her own cheeks as she clapped for her wife.  
Angela bit her trembling lip in earnest and spun to return to her chair before she let herself become more of a mess in front of thousands.

 

The valedictory dinner held for graduating doctors was nothing short of extravagant. Graduates and their plus-one guests sat around tables of a ballroom, listening to speeches and toasting flutes of champagne, beginning the evening with all the formalities so that they could have dinner and celebrate freely for the rest of the night.

Angela and Fareeha sat, hands joined beneath the table, as they chatted amongst themselves and other folk at the table.

Fareeha leaned towards Angela and murmured lowly that she was going to step out for some fresh air and quiet for a bit. As she moved to stand, Angela’s fingers remained threaded with her own as the blonde moved to collect her clutch and stand along with her. Before she could ask, the blonde turned to her peers and bid them a good night, announcing her and Fareeha’s departure.

“You can stay here longer, habibti, I’ll be back,” Fareeha assured her as the two weaved through the bodies of conversating folk towards the exit.

“And torture you with more tedious social interaction? Darling, I know you. I’m all too happy to call it a night as well.” Angela reached up to press a quick kiss to Fareeha’s lips. “Let’s go for a walk.”

\--

They’d not trekked this path in near four years, yet it was as familiar as It had only been recent. Like they were young lovers from almost eight years ago.

The married couple stroll hand in hand through their favourite park, deserted in the late hours of the night as the pleasant warmth from the alcohol buzzed through them. Angela, long ago kicked off her heels, and walked barefoot along the footpath. Fareeha had shed her jacket, loosened her top buttons and rolled up her sleeves. They embarked up the stone steps to the top of the hill, their favourite lookout where they’d confessed so much to each other long ago.

“It’s just so surreal.” Angela circled her arms around Fareeha’s waist as they looked over the glow of the city before them. “To think… We met because of this course. By some stroke of fate, you crashed my lecture and I had the gall to pursue you. And now I’m graduated, officially a Doctor… Married to the most incredible woman on this planet with the two most perfect daughters. How blessed I must be…”

Fareeha tilted her head down to kiss her wife tenderly. “I couldn’t be prouder,” she affirmed before stealing a deeper kiss.


	16. Emmet

Ade began her second year of schooling. And with some hesitant agreeing, Camille began her first year, pouting as Angela fixed the straps of her new backpack.

“Mama I don’t know if… I don’t…” she began, eyes averted, looking down their driveway to where the school bus would collect them.

Her mother smiled warmly, cupping her cheek and stroking it gently, “You will be okay, my love. Ade was nervous on her first day too, remember? Umi and I will be there, just like last year. I know you will make lots of friends.”

“But I don’t want to make friends.”

Angela sighed but her smile remained. “Then that is just fine too. Whatever makes you comfortable. Adelah tells me they have many great books in the library. Perhaps you can find yourself somewhere quiet to sit and read? I think that sounds nice too.” She winks, and almost on cue, Adelah hops into the room, brimming with first day back at school excitement, chattering excitedly about all the cool stuff that you can do there. She marches Camille down to the bus stop, the youngest throwing a longing look over her shoulder as Angela waves goodbye with a smile.

And the next chapter of their life began.

Camille took to school in an entirely different manner than Adelah had.

Ade sat attentive, poised and ready to answer any question thrown at the class.

Camille sat as far out of attention’s way as she could, keeping to herself, gazing out the window towards the mountains.

Adelah was “cool”, “fun”, “so good at sports!”, “smart!”

Camille was “quiet,” “weird,” “she looked at me scary.”

Unfortunately drawing attention to herself for the wrong reasons.

An easy target.  
The other children would pick on her, tease her for being a loner in the school yard. Adelah swooped in, shoving the bullies over and making them back off. It was the first and last time they ganged up on Cami… at least where her sister could see.

Camille loathed school with every fibre of her being. It was a cage to her. But with the steady encouragement of her parents, she stuck to it. Begrudgingly.

Over the months, unfinished and missing homework in favour of going for runs steadily rolled into skipping classes or missing full days of school.

Both Angela and Fareeha were unawares, as they had watched their two daughters both leave in the mornings by bus, until the teacher had contacted them, informing them of Camille’s constant absence.

 

By her third year, she stopped going all together. 

 

“We can’t force her to go to school. As much as I’m all for her being there… I just don’t think it’s working out for her.” Fareeha sighed, resuming her work at the chopping board, preparing dinner.

“We could look into homeschooling her?” Angela had suggested, knowing Fareeha had done her fair stint of homeschooling in her youth when school wasn’t an option.

Fareeha hummed in acknowledgement, “Something to look into, yeah. For now, I think I might try and have her tag along with me on some projects for work. Keep her productive and still learning, y’know. I think we both know where her heart is leading her.

 

\--

 

Things fell into a routine after. They made things work with Camille dropping out of school, whilst Adelah forged her own path in school.

She was now twelve and fast approaching high school (much to the dread of her parents approaching the foreboding teenage years).

 

The flow of chatter amongst the classroom dies down at the teacher’s announcement for their attention. Adelah looks up from her book, to see a boy standing at the front of the classroom.

He wore a soccer jersey with his backpack slung over one shoulder, his hair - though cut short – scruffy and chestnut coloured. His face was downturned into a shy frown, like he looked like he’d rather be anywhere but standing before a classroom of eyes on him.

“Class, I’d like you to meet your newest classmate, Emmet. He’s just moved here from Lucerne, so I hope you all make him feel welcome. I know you will.”

Emmet waved shyly and uttered a quick “hey,” before moving to the empty seat, right behind Adelah’s own.

Ade turns in her seat to introduce herself, extending a hand to shake. He fixes her with a look, a brow raised, studying her closely for a moment before returning the shake.

An odd guy, Adelah thinks to herself before re-focusing on class. She feels her neck prickle, her instincts nudging her, almost like a warning of sorts. 

From a distance, Emmet seemed like an average guy. He was smart. Great at sports. Super funny. All the girls seemed to flock to him during break time, giggling at his rougish grin when he tells a stupid punchline, rubbing the back of his head. What was his deal? Adelah found herself side-eyeing him from the shade of her tree she reclined below with her book. The bell chimed, breaking her reverie as all the students broke away from their activities to return to class. As she gathered her things, throwing her bag over her shoulder, she glanced up one last time before she could help herself. 

To find Emmet glancing right back at her as he and his group passed by and her blood chills, yet her cheeks warm. 

Never one to back down from a challenge, it was time to end this... whatever it was here and now. 

She catches him at the locker, tapping his shoulder. He turns, half surprise in his features to see Adelah standing before him, frowning. 

"Oh, heya, um, Kamilah was it?"

"Adelah."

"Oh! Shit, sorry," he chuckles sheepishly, "what's up?"

"What's your deal with me?"

Emmet's smiles falls and he's back to looking at her carefully, almost studying her. "There it is again!" she points out, "that look you keep giving me! Why?" 

"It's kinda stupid, don't worry 'bout it," he mutters, glancing around the steadily emptying halls as class returns. He closes his locker, moving to continue on his way when Adelah steps in front of him, conversation apparently not over yet. 

"I want you to tell me."

"It's stupid, don't get mad at me please. It was just... When I met you in class, and even now when we talk... I didn't wanna say anything but like, you smell kinda like a dog?" He clears his throat awkwardly, avoiding Adelah's steely gaze. 

Ade freezes. _He can smell it?_ “We... we don’t have any dogs...”

“Really? That’s kinda weird. Er, sorry this is all weird. I didn't want to point it out, I really didn't."

“Must be your imagination,” she takes a step back, “I gotta go, see you next period Emmet.” She turns heal and heads straight for the bathroom, clutching her things closely as she pushes past all the students, suddenly hyper aware of the glances thrown her way as she rushes through the hall.

_Could they smell it too? Why has no one said anything before?_

Shutting herself in the first available stall, she leans against the wall, panting. She lifts her arm, tentatively smelling herself to be sure. The cool metal of the promise ring sits against her chest, grounding her as she heaves a sigh, head resting against the wall of the bathroom stall. Eventually the bell rings once more and Adelah realises she's spent the entirety of her break locked in a bathroom stall. Upon exiting, she washes her hands, lathering her skin tenfold in attempts to wash the ‘dog smell’ away.

Upon returning to class, she spots Emmet sitting with a group of her classmates, playing cards and laughing at his silly antics. Making fast friends already. Emelia is the first to see Adelah watching on from the doorway and calls out to her, “Ade, you should come join us! Emmet is really funny.”

Adelah’s eyes meet Emmet for a brief second and she struggles to find the first excuse to come to mind to avoid him. “Oh, I um… I need to return this book. I’ll catch you later.” She pretends to ignore his puzzled look as she turns heel and leaves the room once more.

The paranoia.

The paranoia bares it's fangs at Adelah. 

She shrugs off questions or concerns by her parents when they notice her unusual quiet demeanour, or how she barely picked at her food during dinner time. Her showers are longer, lathering her body several times over and scrubbing away the ‘dog smell’.

And yet, every time she stepped into class, Emmet would be watching her, a mix of confusion and inquisitiveness on his face. He tries to get her attention during class, tossing pieces of scrunched paper over her shoulder onto her desk. She keeps her back turned.

When the school bell rings, she’s first to her feet, ignoring the “heya Ade… lah...” as she leaves the room in haste.

“Yo Ade!”

She doesn’t even need to look to see who is approaching her lunch table in the cafeteria. She’s up and moving away with her tray before he even sits down.

The halls are empty, all the students still enjoying their lunch. Adelah is halfway down the corridor before the cafeteria door opens and shuts behind her, Emmet calling out once more. She ignores him, turning abruptly to hurry down the stairs. “Adelah!”

Go away, she seethes.

“Tell me the truth!”

She pauses this time, turning slowly to look at him. “About what.”

"Are you really that mad about the dog thing?"

She scoffs internally at that. “I said, it’s nothing.”

“Then why are you avoiding me!” His voice raises now.

“I’m not… I’m not avoiding you!” She turns to continue down the stairwell, picking up pace. Her hand comes up to grasp the ring dangling from the chain around her neck, her heart practically thundering against her chest as her emotions churn. _Taʻahhud, you promised._

“Hey, Ade, c’mon” He still persists, calls echo from the halls following close behind. She hastens, practically running, shoving open the door into the back schoolyard, completely deserted of students. _Taʻahhud, taʻahhud, taʻahhud._ She doesn’t even know where she’s running to, it just has to be away from him.  
She rounds a corner, hoping to re-enter the building through another door… which turned out to be locked. And then she was trapped. Cornered. She keeps her back turned, panting, slumping against the wall whilst clutching the ring, still murmuring taʻahhud again and again while she waited for the inevitable. “Adelah…”

“Stop following me!” She growls, hands trembling against the smooth wood behind her.

The worst thing you can possibly do to an animal that was cornered or felt threatened, was to provoke them. And Emmet just had to step forward, put a hand on Adelah’s shoulder. And surely, he meant well, he didn’t know better. He surely couldn’t have known the girl in front of him would whip around lashing out her hand to clout him alongside his head, sending him reeling backwards.

He sat dazed, holding a hand to his ear. He pulled it away, fresh blood smeared across his palm and now flowing freely down his neck.  
Had he looked up at Adelah, he’d be looking into golden irises, seen a pair of soft brown ears flickering atop her head, seen furiously bared teeth, clawed hands dripping with blood.

 

“Dr. Ziegler?” the clinic’s receptionist knocked lightly before poking her head through the door. “You have a call on line 2 for you. It’s the school. Urgent.”

“Oh?” Angela turns to her patient, excusing herself for just a moment to answer the phone.

 

And not 30 minutes later, she’s walking into the headmaster’s office. A young boy, head bandaged up, is sitting with his mother. And then she spots Adelah sitting with her head bowed, not even acknowledging her mother’s presence.

"I’m so sorry to pull you out of work Angela, thank you for coming in.” The headmaster shakes her hand and invites her to take a seat. She moves to Adelah’s side as Emmet’s mother stands, dragging the boy to his feet.

With barely a few seconds to process the scene before her before the other woman stands up, glaring daggers at Angela. “Do you know how much his head was bleeding?” She started.

“It was just my ear,” Emmet rebuts barely under his breath. 

“Ade…” Angela says softly. The young girl’s head still bowed in silence, her bangs hiding her eyes.

The headmaster sighs, “She wouldn’t talk, no matter how much we asked her…”

Angela moves to kneel in front of her daughter, who is still avoiding her eyes. She reaches up to sweep messy bangs away from lowered eyes. “Were you really the one who hurt him?”

No response.

“Did you apologize?”

Adelah turns her head away, wordlessly. 

“Apologize, please,” Angela says softly.

Adelah still makes no move or response.

“I said, apologize, _please,_ ” Angela says, her voice becoming sterner. She waits this time. Adelah turns her head back. Angela moves to stand up as Ade slowly gets to her feet, head still bowed.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice is quiet, cracked.

Angela turns to the boy and his mother and bows apologetically, “I’m so, so very sorry for what my daughter has done."

The headmaster nods approvingly, turning to the still disgruntled woman to go on about explaining that the school will take care of the medical bills and insurance when she cuts him off. “Do you really think this can be taken care of with just an apology?” She snaps. “What were you planning to do if he lost his hearing? Parents are responsible for their children’s actions, aren’t they? Would you compensate us? You gonna discipline her or is she gonna do it to some other kid, huh?" Adelah flinches, remembering her younger years spent in Zurich when angry grown ups would come knocking on their door to yell about something her or Camille had done. 

_"Teach them some damn discipline!"_

The headmaster interjects. “Now, now, this isn’t the place to-“

“No, I want to hear what she has to s-“

“A dog.” The room falls silent and all turn to Emmet. “It was a dog that did it.” He confesses.

Nobody notices the look on Angela’s face, blue eyes widen in silent realisation at the boy's words. _A dog._

“Emmet?” His mother puts a hand on his shoulder. “What are you saying?”

“You saw the claw marks. It was a dog. Not Adelah.”

 

Adelah walked down the corridor back to her class with her teacher, head still hung. She’d been absolved of punishment since Emmet had shifted the blame off her. But she knew the truth. And so does her mother, though she spoke nothing of the incident just yet, there would be words later. And Emmet… Emmet… He knows she hurt him but just how much did he actually see, she wasn’t sure. And why had he lied for her after what she did? She damn well nearly severed his ear in one swipe, and he surely knows this too.

She could hear the chattering, the whispers and murmurs, the gossip from a mile away, behind every door she passed in the hall on the way to her own classroom. 

_“Don’t decide whose fault it is already!”_

_“I know!”_

_“She’s been different lately—”_

_“Shhh!”_

_“Dude, she totally hit him—"_

The class fell into an abrupt silence as soon as the door was pushed open, the teacher stepping inside followed by Ade. Her head still lowered, she wordlessly moved to her desk, well aware of every pair of eyes on her the entire way. It was moments like these when she wished her hearing wasn’t so advanced, so that she couldn’t hear the near silent murmurs whispered around the room that would fall deaf to any human ears.

Until one of the boys spoke up. “What happened to Emmet?”

“He left early,” the teacher answered.

“Why?” Asked another girl.

“Because he got hurt.”

Eyes still downcast, Adelah took her seat wordlessly as the children probed for answers.

“How did he get hurt?”

“That—”

“Who hurt him?” Another boy pressed, eagerness in his voice to learn the truth, for fresh gossip to spread.

An abrupt chair scraping across the ground from Adelah’s desk broke the interrogation as she grabbed her bag and sprinted from the room.

“Ade!”

“I knew it was her!”

“Thought so.”

The class erupted once more in conversation excitedly as Adelah ran.

 

Angela pulled up into the school parking lot for the second time today, finding her daughter waiting in the shade of a tree at the far end of the lot. She offered Adelah a small smile as she climbed into the front seat and shut the door. But Angela didn’t start the engine just yet. Ade sat quietly, bracing herself for a barrage of scoldings and questions… but they never came. Angela was content to sit quietly until Adelah was ready to speak.

“It didn’t work,” came a weak murmur. “No matter how many times I said it,” Adelah’s hand came up to grasp the cool metal of the promise ring. “Will I… be chased out of school like Umi was? Will we have to leave our house?” She sniffled, the knot in her throat causing her words to tremble.

Angela placed a hand on Ade’s knee. She wanted to promise her daughter all would be well. Her heart shredded at the sight of tears streaking down her daughter’s cheeks, dripping freely on to her dress. But if she was honest with herself, she didn’t know how to approach this situation, not without Fareeha.

“I’m sorry…” Adelah choked out a sob, lifting her head as the dam broke, “Mama, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry!” she wailed.

“Oh schatz,” Angela pulled her into her arms, stroking her hair as her daughter wept. “My darling, shhhh, it’s going to be okay.” She heard her own voice waver, tears welling and spilling free as the two embraced.

There’s no worse pain in the world than a parent seeing your child in so much distress…

“ Alles wird gut, mein schatz, alles wird gut…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adelah ;^;
> 
> HEYY GUYS. Sorry I've not uploaded in a bit. July's been a rough month for work and I came out in the end with a back injury and now I'm on forced leave to recover. More writing time for me I guess
> 
>  **BUT - I wanted to mention that I've added a couple of scenes into chapter nine** because I realise I wanted to flesh out a few things and I may be doing so to other chapters too but i'll make sure to let you know if I do.  
>  I added a bit more to Angela's labour scene since I left it on a cliffhanger but the next chapter all was fairly okay. The urgency fizzled a bit. So I elaborated on the scene a bit more :)  
> I also added a scene for Angela where... lets face it, she's a woman studying to become a freakin' doctor while mothering two kids that require *alot* of attention (one in the sense of how much she cries and needs attention and the other just being very energetic and into mischief a lot). So I wanted to give her a scene where she began to really feel the pressure on her shoulders and started to crack under the weight of it all. 
> 
> \--
> 
> Alles wird gut, mein schatz - All is well, my dear


	17. Teacher?

Angela busied herself in the kitchen preparing dinner with Camille. She spared the occasional glance to the back porch; the dimly lit figure of Fareeha and Adelah could be seen sitting at the edge together, facing the wilds. As soon as Fareeha got home from work earlier in the evening, Angela explained to her what had happened at school. They both ultimately decided it would be best to let Ade take some time off until things cooled down a little, to let her decide if she wanted to return to schooling. Fareeha took Adelah aside after that. They’d been sitting together on the back porch for nearly an hour talking over things. Things that Angela so desperately wished she could help with. But no matter how many books she read or how much life experience she gains living with and raising a family of jackal shifters, there were just some things that only Fareeha had the insight to handle.

And that’s okay, she reminds herself. It’s okay to not be able to do everything. But it still gave way to a degree of guilt that panged her heart when her daughters were distressed. She watched Camille who quietly busied herself mixing some ingredients together for a sauce.  
“How was your run today Cami?”

“Ah!” Camille perked up a little, as she noticeably has been doing more recently at the mention of her runs. “Was really cool. I’ve been practicing reading the weather more and more with teacher.” The girl tilts her head fondly, while she works over the bowl.

_Teacher? Did she mean Fareeha?_

“We passed a cave up on the mountainside too. I wanna check it out next time.”

Angela hummed fondly at the thought. Camille, the girl who’d scream and flee from a harmless lizard is now eager to explore caves. “Just don’t go by yourself okay?”

“I won’t mama,” she assured with a warm smile, returning to her mixing.

Since stopping school, Camille spent near every day out running, on the condition that either Angela or Fareeha get a couple hours of her time to do some home study a day to keep her basic maths, reading, writing and spelling up to par at the very least to compensate for lack of classes now. But oh, she was such a different girl now. Her smile, broad, confident. She’d matured considerably since.

 

On a particular night, Fareeha heard Camille return home at dusk when the front door slammed, and small clawed feet pattered along the wooden floors in the direction of the bathroom, gentle clicks with each step softening as they morphed to soft skin of human feet.

“Cami?”

The footsteps paused for a moment before continuing, the girl’s head peering around the corner into the family room, long brown hair matted and messy from dashing through bushes and shrubbery. Fareeha fixed her with an odd look, trying to decipher something. Her nose twitched slightly. “How was your run?”

“It was fine.”

“Were you with your teacher again?”

“Yeah.”

The eye contact remained firm and unbreaking Fareeha still searching for something in Camille’s answer as seconds of silence ticked by. “I see,” she finally relented, “Dinner will be ready in an hour or so, okay?” Camille nodded and continued down the hall again. Fareeha watched the empty doorway for a moment longer, trying to place the faint smell on the girl. It was so familiar. So impossibly familiar. 

_But it couldn’t be..._

\--

Head still bandaged, Emmet caught the rural school bus after class to the outskirt of town. Ade had been away from school for a week now, thus he took it upon himself to bring her her homework. And he was looking for an excuse to come see her. He simply couldn’t explain what drew him to Adelah, what about her that made him so interested in getting to know her when she had spent all their interactions literally attempting to avoid him (and nearly sever his ear). The fact that she was different from all the other kids in this new school, different from any kid he’d ever met. And yet, he knew nothing about her.

The bus pulled up at the stop Sofia had explained, and he made his way to the old home hidden amongst the trees, coming to a stop at the massive furnished front deck. No one seemed to be home. He glanced at the papers in his hand and turned to find somewhere to leave them when the sound of a car engine approached from the driveway. And without moment's thought, he panicked, leaving the papers on the deck and turning heel to sprint away back down the driveway as the car pulled to a stop beside the house.

Angela watched the boy running off in the rear-view mirror before cutting the engine and getting out.

She stepped into the house, lightly knocking on the girl’s closed bedroom door. Opening it, she spotted a brown mop of hair protruding from her sheets. “Emmet brought you some homework, Ade,” she smiled gently. The response was for the figure to curl up tighter, enveloping herself completely in the sheets.

With a sigh, Angela dropped the papers on her desk and let Adelah be.

The next day when Angela returned home from work, she spotted a small wrapped pastry and a clementine left on the front porch. “From Emmet,” she said affably, leaving them on her daughter’s desk as Adelah busied herself with writing. The girl pretended not to notice, her brows knitted together in her still pouting mood. Only after Angela stepped out of the room, did she glance over at the gift.

“That’s the boy Adelah had a fight with, right?” Fareeha asked as she plucked at the strings of her guitar, absently tuning and adjusting the instrument while laying back in the beanbag.

“Yes,” Angela sighed. “He’s come by every day this week, leaving something for Ade.” She brought her knees to her chin, perched in her favourite armchair. “I can’t help but wonder just how much he saw when it happened… he said a dog attacked him…”

At that, Fareeha stopped plucking to look up at Angela. “You think he keeps coming here to find out the truth?” Angela didn’t miss the defensive glint in her wife’s eyes.

“No I…” she sighs, “I’m not sure. It seems to me he’s trying to make amends with her.”

Fareeha hummed, returning to her tuning.

\--

The sun was blazing after a few days of solid rain. The fields exploded in lush greens, springing to life all over. Fareeha spent the day in the fields, tending to their crops, when a figure caught her eye walking past. The boy.

Standing up, she pulled her towel free from over her shoulders to wipe herself down of the sweat and dirt before she called out to him. “Emmet.”

The kid faltered and turned.

“She went to go play at Sofia’s house today.”

He lowered his head a little. “Oh, okay.” And turned to return back towards the bus stop.

“Ah, wait a minute Emmet.” He stopped. Wiping the last of the grime away, Fareeha made to leave the field. “It’s hot out, why don’t you come inside for some tea or a cold drink before you head home?”

Fareeha busied herself in the kitchen, pouring a glass of iced soda for Emmet. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him sitting at their dining table, glancing around the room and fidgeting while he waited. His bandages were mostly gone by now, save for a gauze square taped over his ear.  
Upon Fareeha’s return, he sat up straight once more, averting his gaze to stare at the table while she placed his drink before him.

“It’s a long bus trip from town,” she started, taking a seat opposite to him. “Thank you for coming by every day. Ade might not admit it, but I think these small gestures of yours make her day.”

“I don’t want Ade to stop coming to school,” He began.

Fareeha smiled, slotting her fingers together and resting her chin upon them. “You know, that day, you said a dog did it, right? What did you mean by that?”

“That was… I mean…” Emmet wrapped his hands around the cold glass, thumb stroking small trails of condensation across it. He looked around awkwardly, withering slightly under Fareeha’s intent gaze, trying to find the words. “You might not believe me, but that day, I saw a dog, or a wolf or something, for just a split second.” He scratched his head awkwardly under Fareeha’s attentive stare. “and when I came to, I was bleeding. So, the dog was the one who did it. It all happened too fast.” He sat up straighter, more certain, “It wasn’t Adelah’s fault. I know other kids are saying stupid things, but…” He picked up the glass to take a long sip.

“I see,” Fareeha smiled warmly. “She’s never mentioned you before, actually. Are you friends?”

“Er—Not exactly… yet, I guess? I mean, she seems like an interesting person, good at sports and really cool ‘n stuff…. and I feel bad for starting off things so shaky… I just kinda wanna start over.”

“Can I ask you one more thing? Do you hate dogs? Or wolves… jackals… Because of this?”

The boy put his glass down and sat up again, “Nah, I think they’re pretty cool still.”

At that Fareeha grinned and sat back in her chair, “I think so too.” She stood up when Emmet finished his glass, escorting him to the front door, “I’ll talk to Adelah about returning to school. Thank you, Emmet, again for bringing these things for her,” she held up her fist and the boy bumped it with his own, the smile back on his face as he turned to leave the house.

Both Angela and Fareeha sat down to speak to Adelah about the school situation. She huddled up on her bed, bringing her knees to her chin and wrapping her arms around them in a pout while her parents sat either side of her. She was adamant about not going back. Still ashamed of what she did, and afraid of facing everybody again.

“We understand if you need more time,” Angela said softly, “we’re not forcing you to go back. If you want to wait a little longer—”

“I’m not going back to school. Ever.” For the briefest of seconds, Angela saw a flash of Fareeha in her daughter’s features. Her mind reeled back to all those years ago in the university corridor. _I can quit coming here if I bother you._

“Ever?”

“I broke my promise. I can’t do it.” The ring sat on her bedside table, discarded after the day of the incident.

At that, Fareeha told her of the chat she’d had with Emmet. Explained he wasn’t mad, in-fact, wanted to be friends still, and that he wants her to return, taunting from the other children be damned.

For the first time in that conversation, Adelah seemed to register something in Fareeha’s words. Enough to sway her adamant path so slightly.

“What if I shift again?” she whined behind her knees.

“This is your second chance to not let it happen again, habibti. You made it six years without slipping up, I’m confident you can continue.” Fareeha wrapped an arm around her daughter, still curled up, pulling her in for a side hug.

“Okay… I’ll try,” she uncurled, wrapping and arm around her mother and stretching the other out for Angela to shuffle over and join them.

\--

With heavy reluctance on her shoulders, Ade packed her bags and departed for the bus, after lingering a little too long in Angela’s embrace. Angela watched her oldest head down the driveway, noting the heaviness to her step. 

Camille steps out of the house behind her. “I’m heading out too,” she announces.

“To see your teacher again?” Angela raises an eyebrow.

Camille hums affirmatively over her shoulder as she passes her mother.

“Who is… you’re teacher, schatz?” Not Fareeha apparently, as Angela had previously suspected.

“Teacher is… my mentor. She teaches me about life in the wilds.”

Angela sighs, “I see… well, be careful.”

“Mmhm.”

“And don’t stay out too late!”

“I know.”

And then she was gone, headed in the opposite direction of her sister who waited by the roadside to be picked up.

Sofia was ready and waiting with a grin on the bus, reserving an empty seat beside her for her best friend. Adelah offered a small smile when she sat but for the most part let Sofia do all the talking as they were on their way to school, giving her all the gossip during her absence.

She kept her head down in the halls, pretending not to notice every pair of eyes looking at her, pretending she couldn’t hear the whispers and murmurs being passed around.

The teacher gave her a warm smile and a gentle welcome back pat on the shoulder as she entered the class room. Her eyes automatically scanned the room, to the desk behind hers. And sure enough, Emmet was sitting and watching her, a hint of a smile on his usual stoic features.

“Check this out,” he grinned, reaching for the gauze over his ear. He tore it off quickly, both wincing at the ripping sound. Two angry red gashes ran from the tip to bottom of his ear. “Looks pretty cool huh? Wanna touch it?” Ade hesitated for a moment, lifting a hand slowly. Emmet took her wrist and guided it to the claw marks.

“Does it… hurt?” She asks tentatively.

“Nah, just itches.” He mused, and then his eyes dropped down to the girl’s fingers in his own grasp, as if he was inspecting… Adelah tore her hand away, hiding it behind her back. She turns away a little awkwardly as the class settles to begin.

“I’m not mad at you, y’know.”

“You should be,” she whispers so quietly under her breath so that he wouldn’t hear. Emmet opens his mouth to press but the teacher stepped up to quiet the class.

\--

“Where’s Ade?” Miriam asked. Angela took a steady sip of her coffee and smiled.

“She’s gone back to class.”

“Ah, good for her. And Camille?”

“Cami isn’t… a big fan of school,” she looked down into her mug sheepishly.

“Pah, ain’t nothing wrong with that,” Frank piped up from the garden he was attending to. “Thomas Edison didn’t make it through grade school either ‘n he did just fine. Worked for him ‘n worked for me!”

Miriam tsk’d from her front porch, “don’t you tell that young girl to drop out!”

Angela giggled at the couple’s usual banter, “Fareeha didn’t quite finish either, and that’s okay.” She took another sip of her coffee when the thought arose, “is there anybody living up on the mountains?”

“Up on the mountains? Nope, no one as far as we’re concerned. Why?”

“I see… Camille has a friend she goes to hang out with up there she calls teacher.”

“Huh… no, doesn’t ring a bell. Maybe one of the local kids play up there.”

\--

“When it comes to the wilds, teacher knows everything. She’s been out there for a long time.” Camille explains fondly, trimming the leaves of their tomato vine while Angela attends to the pumpkin patch.

“I’m surprised you get along with someone much older. You should invite her over for tea sometime. It sounds like she has lots of stories to share. I’d love to meet her,” Angela prompts.

“Teacher’s not one for people. Unlike the other animals, she doesn’t come down here often. Stays mostly in the mountains." Camille doesn’t notice Angela’s face when the pieces slot into place, blue eyes widening in realisation. “Then again… I think she’d probably be okay with you.”

\--

Fareeha was at work, so Camille and Angela headed out together into the forest. Camille lead the way, confidently stepping a path she knew off by heart now as Angela lingered behind, avoiding branches, stumps and shrubbery. The ambience of the forest was the only thing heard. Birds chirping, cicadas humming, trees rustling in the breeze. Angela wiped the sweat of her brow with the sleeve of her shirt, huffing with relief as Camille stopped in a clearing in the distance.

A large oak tree, very much like the one her and Fareeha married beneath stood tall in the centre. Thick roots and trunks curved around the moss-covered boulders and land surrounding it. The sunlight filtered through the canopy, shining directly upon a creature sitting tall and proud on one of the roots at the base.

A jackal.

With black fur, much like Fareeha’s, aside from the greying muzzle, and patches around her eyes.

Eye.

Upon closer inspection, the jackal looked upon her with one golden eye, watching Angela carefully. The other scrunched closed, a noticeable scar and small patches of missing fur surrounding.

“Mama, this is my teacher, Ana. She’s…” she glanced over at the jackal, who lifts her muzzle in acknowledgement. “She’s my grandmother… Umi’s mother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dunn GRANDMA AMARI IS HERE.
> 
> Sorry for posting so slow now. Life's been kicking in me in the shins big time this last month and a half. Motivation's been real low.  
> I hope everyone's still enjoying this fic - leave comments for feedback if you do ^^ It definitely spurs me on to keep working


	18. Teta

_Flying._

_The only word Camille could use to describe this experience was flying. Fast, weightless and free. The forest around her whizzes by in a blur as her paws carry her, chasing the elder jackal ahead of her, who runs so gracefully agile, moving as one with the forest. Camille pants and stumbles, but she keeps up, she’s determined to keep up and prove that she can._

_Lush green shrubbery tapers to craggy inclines as they move higher along the mountain. She watches Ana leap from rock to boulder with ease as if she weren't well into her sixties in age. Camille jumps and scrambles, claws pattering and scraping to regain her footing as she traverses the rocky course. Ana sits at the top, muzzle inclined in soft amusement as she watches her young granddaughter struggle with the climb._

_She teaches the girl how to move with the land. To be the confident and proud jackal that the Amari family are._

_Camille had never ventured this far through the Swiss mountains, not even with Fareeha. It was different, somehow, with Ana, in ways she didn’t quite know how to explain. For once she wasn’t withering in her sister’s confident shadow. And maybe it was because this wasn’t like her usual runs with her mother that she’d grown up with. This was new, challenging, a sense of pride grew with Camille as she got older and more accustomed to being jackal, and Ana carried an air of wisdom and confidence that inspired her in ways she’d never felt and that pride drove her to keep up and not disappoint. Surely not that her grandmother would ever be disappointed, but in her mind it kept her motivated._

_And, oh, the thought of coming home and showing Fareeha all that she had learnt. It made her heart swell to think about making her mother proud. That she wasn’t the snivelling pup anymore._

_Ana carried years of experience, knowledge and wisdom on her shoulder and Camille wanted to see it all. The elder shows her the wilds in a new light._

_The two traverse the mountains, higher and higher. Air thinning and fog falling around them, but they continue to run together. Together. Camille takes this knowledge and she can now keep up. Her paws carry her faster, flying with the winds as she now runs ahead, no longer afraid despite her blindness from the fog. She moves with the land, and the land carries her higher until they break through the cloud and fog…_

_To be met with brilliant blue skies, and green as far as the eye can see of the land below them. Appenzell is a mere speck in the distance. Camille halts at the edge of the cliff, amber eyes widen in awe. This truely did feel like flying._

_The two stop to rest upon the summit. Ana rests her chin upon her paws, looking over the countryside almost forlornly. Camille steals a glance at her grandmother, at the scarred patchy fur around her missing eye. She learnt quickly in their time spent together that bringing up the topic of her past and family matters was touchy, but she wanted so badly to know._

_“Why is it that you don’t want to see my mother?” She doesn’t miss the subtle way Ana’s ears twitch back as if she’d flinched. “Teta?”_

_The elder jackal sighs, sitting up to face Camille. “I want to, little one. I want to be with my daughter again more than anything in this world, but…” She stands, and stretches, ready to head back._

_“She misses you. She told me so many stories about you as I grew up. Mama and Adelah would love to meet you too.”_

_“Come, habibti, the sun will be setting before long.” And they began their decline back to the village._

 

\--

 

Fareeha’s… mother…

The woman who went missing several years ago in an incident and was presumably killed in action.

Angela can only stare in silence as the wise old jackal eyes her quietly, fitting the pieces together.

The creature jumps down from their perch with the grace of a cat, and trots towards the two, slowing to a cautious halt as she got closer, ears flattening back. Angela squats down to a kneel and holds her hand out. Ana looks at the hand, back up at Angela and down again before sniffing it gently. After a few quiet seconds she moves to nuzzle into the hand affectionately, ears relaxing and tail wagging. She pushes past the hand, nuzzling into Angela’s body as the blonde’s hands rub her flank.

Camille speaks first, “she says ‘it is nice to finally meet you, daughter in-law.’”

Angela blushes, “A-and to you too… Ana… Uhm, thank you for looking out for my daughter out here when Fareeha cannot come out.” She couldn’t find her words. She was here in the forest with her daughter, conversing with a jackal who cannot speak directly, who also turned out to be Fareeha’s thought-to-be dead mother. She had so many questions.

At Fareeha’s name, Ana’s ears perked up. Angela noticed too.

“Why don’t you come see her?”

The ears flattened again, and the jackal took a tentative step back. Camille translated once more, “She does not feel that she will be welcome in our household after so many years of being gone. She fears umi will not feel the same,” she said sadly. “Believe me, I have invited her.”

“Teta has been in this form for years, mama,” she went on to explain. Angela guessed Teta was a translation of grandmother. “She worries how she will handle changing back, but she cannot talk to you any other way, as much as she’d like to.”

The jackal’s golden eye looks at Camille as the girl explains before looking back up at Angela for her response. Angela ponders this, how it must feel to live in the wilds as an animal for so many years and then have to remember how to be human once more. She thinks of how Fareeha might react to the entire situation… Perhaps it would be easier to say nothing, to let Ana continue her life out here until their paths cross inevitably… but Angela knows she could never keep such a thing from Fareeha. It would tear her up.

“Ana,” she begins, blue eyes looking into gold. “You’re always welcome in our household. We’re family. If you’d come back with us, I’ll gladly assist in your, uhm, transition back to being human. I don’t… know how Fareeha will react, but I think it would be best if you see each other. Adelah would love to meet you too, I’m sure.”

Ana whines, taking another step back. She contemplates for a moment, fighting her own internal struggle. And then she stands up, resolute.

“She said she will come,” Camille says.  


\--  


Ana stops short on their front porch as both Angela and Camille enter before her. The two turn around as the jackal sniffs at the air, carefully stepping into the house as if she was intruding, her claws click along the wooden floor boards. She glances around, studying her surroundings and then looks over to Camille.

“She says ‘it smells so much like Fareeha in here’.” She giggles.

Angela hums with a polite smile. “Cami, why don’t you go get lunch started and put the kettle on shortly?” She turns to Ana, “Fareeha said you were a big fan of tea, correct? I’ll bet it’s been a long while since you’ve had a cup.” The jackal’s ears perk up once more.

Angela shows her to the bathroom after gathering a set of spare clothes for Ana to change into. “Take all the time you need, okay? Fareeha will not be home for a few hours yet. We’ll be out here if you need anything.” Angela shuts the door, leaving the elder jackal alone in the bathroom.

Ana had maintained her jackal form for nearly fifteen years and making the transition back to human might just be one of the hardest challenges she’d ever faced, more so than any battle she fought in combat years and years ago. She paced the room, cold tiles below her paw pads, cursing her cowardice.

Angela and Camille sat at the dining table in silence. The boiling water of the kettle had simmered and cooled by now as a half hour stretched by with not so much as a sound from the bathroom. Not even a running tap. Angela stands to go investigate, stopping outside the bathroom door.

 

“Ana?” She knocks softly, “Is everything okay in there?”

No response.

“I’m going to come in, if that’s okay with you.”

She waits a moment. Still nothing. So, she opens the door a fraction to peer inside before opening it fully. Angela didn’t know what she expected to see inside, quite frankly.

An elderly woman, sat hunched on the side of the bathtub, in silence, dressed in Fareeha’s clothes. Her skin, bronze and sun kissed much like Fareeha’s. Long silver hair hung to one side over her shoulder, still greasy and matted. Ana clutched the shirt she was wearing, fists scrunching the fabric. Angela mentally slapped herself for giving her Fareeha’s shirt.

Something literally doused in her daughter’s scent.

“Ana…”

The older woman glanced up at Angela. The scars around her right eye were so prominent now, eye scrunched closed, appearing hollow behind the lid. But more noticeably, Angela’s eyes were drawn to the faded black ink below her left eye. A tattoo very much like Fareeha’s, but of different design. Ana’s eye colour was a deep ochre, the same colour as Adelah and Camille’s, filled with wisdom and strength beyond the sadness they showed right now. She noticed additional scars littering her skin from her travels…

Ana opened her mouth to say something, and then closed it, and then tried again with nothing but a brief rasp coming from the woman’s throat. Angela offered her a glass of water, to which she took with a grateful nod and downed the cup. She breathed a deep sigh, lowering the glass.

“Take your time,” Angela assured softly, almost switching to Dr. Ziegler mode.

The elderly woman’s mouth opened once more.

“I… Nnhh… T-th… thank you… An-ge-angela.”

Angela beamed.

For the next hour or so, Angela assisted in cleaning her up, washing her long hair and braiding it neatly. Ana asked that her bad eye be covered, so not to scare the children. Angela obliged, neatly wrapping bandages across the eye and around her head. They spent some time working on training Ana’s verbal abilities back to working order after years and years of disuse. Her accent was noticeably richer than Fareeha’s, her English was far more clipped and broken, but she still held a degree of wiseness as she spoke as Angela guided her through vocal warm ups. And then there was the task of learning to walk again after running on four paws for so long, her own two legs protested the foreign movement. Angela wrapped an arm around the woman, supporting and guiding her to her feet to move out of the bathroom.

Ana caught her reflection in the mirror as she passed by, freezing in her tracks. Angela waited patiently, as the woman leaned in closer, studying a face almost foreign to her own self. The face she remembered was 15 years younger.

Adelah arrived home from school, stopping in the doorway at the sight of Angela, Camille and an older woman all sitting in the living room drinking tea. Ana’s face softened as she set her tea aside to stand, nodding her thanks to Angela who moved to help support her once more.

Noticing Adelah’s mild confusion (presumably wondering why this stranger smelled so much like her mother), Angela spoke first. “Ade, this is your grandmother, Ana. She’s travelled very far to come meet you and Camille.”

“And you too, my dear,” the older woman added, pinching Angela’s cheek lightly.

“Woah…” Ade breathed. “But Umi said… you were gone…”

Ana sighed, sadly. “For a long time, I was. But I am here now. I’ve wanted to meet my daughter’s family for a long, long time.” She opened her arms, welcoming Adelah into them tenderly as the girl held her back tightly.

Adelah murmured in the fabric of Ana’s shirt, the scent comforting her the same way her mother’s warm embrace would, “I’ve wanted to meet you too. All my life.”

The kids spent the afternoon sitting at Ana’s feet, eagerly listening to tales of her travels and telling their own in return. It was as though they were talking to a celebrity, completely enwrapped in every word. Angela watched on, a soft smile on her face the entire time as the three conversed. A sight she’d never thought she’d see, her two daughters with their grandmother. Her heart twanged when she imagined her own mother and father sitting in Ana’s place. She wanted to believe so much that it would remain this blissful… But Fareeha’s return was imminent, and she wasn’t sure how her wife would handle the news of her mother’s apparent survival and disappearance. Would she be upset? Thrilled? Overwhelmed? Painstakingly neutral about the whole situation like she tended to be, masking her emotions with a calm exterior.

She didn’t have to keep guessing for long, when the tell-tale sounds of Fareeha’s motorcycle came from down the driveway, cutting the engine outside the house.

“Ade, Cami,” the girls looked over at their mother. “Sounds like Umi’s home. Why don’t the two of you wash up and do some homework. Let her and Teta have some time together.”

“Okay mama,” the two chimed in unison, waving to Ana as they headed down the hall.

Angela and Ana both shared a look as the front door opened and closed.

“Ange, are you…” Fareeha called, voice dying down as she stepped into the living room, freezing with her leather jacket only half pulled off, “… home?”

The room seemed to freeze over as Fareeha’s eyes met Ana’s stifling the air with immediate tension. Fareeha stood rigid, disbelief and confusion swelled in her eyes, like she was looking at a ghost. She glanced at Angela for answers, but the blonde remained quiet. She promised herself to leave this all between mother and daughter.

“Habibti,” Ana began. She stood, this time without Angela’s help and took a careful step towards her daughter. And then another. Fareeha remained still at the doorway. Ana stopped in front of her, a good two heads shorter than her daughter at that, and reached a tentative hand to Fareeha’s cheek, pausing a moment before tracing the tattoo below her eye that she’d yet to ever see. She murmured something softly in Arabic. _“Look how tall you are now, my little pup.”_

Fareeha released a shuddering breath, resisting a sob as she drew her mother into a hug, holding the other woman so tightly as if she were to vanish before her eyes.

Angela took a step back, throat squeezing a the emotional reunion and then slipped out of the room and give the two women their privacy. She headed for the kids’ room, both girls sitting at their desks working on homework, as told. With a sigh, she sat on one of the beds, pulling out her tablet to do some work of her own. Anything to distract her from thinking about what was going on out there.  


\--  


The Amari women took a seat on the same couch, facing each other. Fareeha had yet to say anything, sitting in an unreadable silence. _“You have a beautiful family, Fareeha,”_ Ana commented, continuing to speak in her native tongue. Her daughter stayed quiet, running her thumb over her own knuckles of the hands clenched together in her lap.

_“Please say something, habibti.”_

Fareeha wrenched her gaze away from her lap up to her mother’s face.

 _“Fifteen years…”_ she said softly, switching to Arabic. _“I thought… I thought you were dead… Why didn’t you ever contact me? You showed yourself to my daughter, but not your own?”_ Small talk was well and good, but Fareeha wanted to lay her cards on the table and get it over with. _“I… I mourned for you. I was fucking devastated… I left home because there was nothing left for me there. I travelled for so long, trying to find a new path... And then I met Angela.”_

 _“If I could have come home to you sooner, Fareeha, I would have. Believe me, I would have.”_ Her hand subconsciously drew towards her ruined eye, now bandaged up. _“Coming back to you… Would have drawn them to you.”_

_“Who?”_

_“Talon.”_ Ana said sourly. _“Hunters. For generations they’ve hunted our kind. They knew about me, and they surely knew about you, at the very least as my daughter. They very well nearly killed me,”_ she tapped the bandage. _“So, I fled. And they pursued. I fled to keep you safe. And by the time I returned home many weeks later… you were gone.”_ Ana sighed, sitting back in the cushion. _“I thought maybe you knew, and you’d fled already. I planned to take you with me when I got back and get far away… So, I left as well, remaining as a jackal. And did so from then on, living my life in the wilds, travelling the world in hopes that maybe I would see you again someday. I do not know what brought me here. But I never questioned where instinct took me. And it lead me to cross paths with your own daughter.”_

“Camille…” Fareeha murmured.

_“Do not be mad at the girl for not saying anything for as long as she did. I asked her not to until I was ready.”_

Fareeha opens her mouth to counter and closes it once more, a thousand questions swarm her mind. She folds her arms, shifting uncomfortably on her feet, the air seeping with awkward silence once more. _“Does… does Sam know?”_

Ana’s lips drew into a thin line. Of all things to ask, she wasn’t expecting one about Fareeha’s father. Nobody knew of Ana’s survival, not even Fareeha until twenty minutes ago. Not even Sam. She closed her eye and sighed heavily. _“When you and I part ways… perhaps… perhaps I will see him.”_

Fareeha stays quiet, the emotions churning and swirling in her stomach, and when she makes no move to say something, Ana claps a hand on her shoulder. “Come,” is all she says, using her daughter’s shoulder for support as she gets to her feet and makes for the back door. Fareeha wordlessly follows.

The elder woman stands on the porch, stretching her old limbs and sighs as Fareeha comes to stand beside her. “You have a very beautiful backyard.”

Fareeha shrugs, “Lots of room for the kids to run around and for us to build a garden, I guess.”

Ana chuckles, “Yes, this yard is fine too.” Her eyes are lingering on the mountains and trees in the distance. And with that, she inhales and shifts onto four legs, stepping out of her clothes. The bandage around her head loosens and unravels to the ground along with them. A golden eye looks up at her daughter expectantly and Fareeha raises a brow.  
“Just like that? We sit and talk for five minutes and that’s all?”

Ana rolls her eye and turns to trot through the grass. The jackal grins at Fareeha’s scoff behind her before her daughter catches up to her, now shifted to her own four legged form.  
This is the way it has been and always will be for the two. Talking was well and good, but running together was their greatest way of bonding.

 

Camille sits at her windowsill, watching the two jackals disappear into the tree line with a forlorn whine.

“Oh come now Cami, you can go with them next time,” Angela smiles from her seat at Adelah’s desk, proofreading the girl’s essay. “Fare- Umi hasn’t seen her mother since she was about Ade’s age. I’m sure they have a lot of catching up to do.” _ _ _ _ ___  
  
_ _ _

______\--_____  
  
_

Ana and Fareeha broke into a clearing. A familiar open field that Ana had brought Camille once to learn how to hunt rabbits. Fareeha had brought Adelah here for just that in earlier years past, when the girl expressed a lot more interest in honing her jackal side. Ade hadn’t come out with her in close to a year now, choosing to shift less and less as she grew older. In fact, Adelah had matured by miles since beginning her schooling years. All she wanted so desperately in life were friends to play with, and her wild side was tempered so she could achieve just that. Fareeha never would have thought that moving out here, to a place where a girl of boundless energy and mischief could flourish and run free, would form such a mature young woman, popular with all the kids in her class and excelling in her grades.

And then there was Camille. Sweet, sensitive Camille who’d squeal and run if a lizard so much as looked in her direction. The girl who, after some altercations, fell in love with being a jackal and the way of life it presented her.

“I sense a lot of hesitance in Camille whilst teaching her,” Ana spoke up. “She will always step up to try things, though. I am glad to hear how far she’s come since childhood. Fareeha puffed her chest with a huff, proud of her little one. She made a mental note involve her more in her runs now that she knows Camille will enjoy and participate far more. “She’s very much like you were at her age, now that I think about it,” Ana points out.

Before moving to Appenzell, neither Fareeha or Angela could have ever predicted the stark change of paths both daughters took.

“They’re growing way too fast,” Fareeha adds. Being part jackal, the girls physically grew and aged slightly faster than that of a normal human being. At the age of ten, they were tall and lanky enough to pass as a teenager. In their jackal forms, they were full-fledged adult-sized (well and truly adults in jackal years), grown into their long ears and large paws.

Sheltering below a tree alongside the river through the field, Fareeha shares all of this with Ana. Both jackals lay curled in the shade, catching up on their missing years. From moving to Switzerland with just the clothes on her back, meeting and falling in love with Angela, having Adelah (though much earlier than anticipated for having children) followed by Camille and all the challenges they faced in their first years of upbringing in Zurich.

“Welcome to motherhood.” Ana hmphs good naturedly, still listening attentively, chin resting on her front paws, her golden eye never leaving her daughter. “We were the same age when we had our daughters. You’ve done a far more splendid job in raising your family though.”  
Fareeha doesn’t miss the soft tilt back of Ana’s ears at her last sentence.

“We both had very different styles of life at that time, mom.”

Ana nods, eager to change topics. “Tell me more about my beautiful daughter in-law.”

Wife. Daughter in-law. Fareeha’s heart would always skip a delightful beat no matter how many times those words were spoken about Angela. She’s confident that if she were in her human form right now, her cheeks would be burning.

She tells Ana of how they met, how fate brought them to that classroom. That beautiful gentle smile and radiant blue eyes, the first person to ever crack the defences walled around Fareeha’s heart under tight lock and bolt. Her unyielding acceptance of Fareeha’s true identity. How she somehow raised two daughters while simultaneously working and studying to become a doctor. Saying it out loud, Fareeha realises that Angela had been studying the entire time they’d known each other until just recently when she finally graduated. The all-nighters pulled when she thought Fareeha was asleep, sitting at the table in the morning while pouring over her study notes and throwing back two mugs of coffee before heading to an important exam, sneaking Fareeha into classes with her before the kids came along. Even when Camille and Adelah were brought into the world and it was Angela’s turn to stay home while Fareeha worked, she’d often be found at her desk with Adelah sound asleep on her lap, cuddled into her chest as Angela bounces her knee while typing away at her essay, Camille bundled up in her rocker beside the desk.

She tells Ana of how Angela turned down an offer to work at one of the most prestigious hospitals in Switzerland in favour of moving to a tiny country town to provide a better life to raise her family in. Even then, she excelled in her position in Appenzell’s clinic.

“I’m so proud of her. Proud of my whole family,” Fareeha concludes, shuffling a bit closer to Ana to rest her chin on her mother’s flank.

Ana turns her head to nuzzle back against Fareeha, “family life has made you much softer, habibti. I do not see that brooding teenage girl who picked fights at school and argued with her mother about anything and everything when I look at you now.”

Fareeha grunts, “I might have gotten softer but I could still beat you in Mehen.”

“You’d challenge your poor, elderly, one-eyed veteran mother?” Ana rolled onto her back dramatically, “I don’t recall you ever beating me Fareeha, and I intend to keep my perfect track record.”

Fareeha moves to stand and stretch. She rolls her shoulder in some sort of shrugging gesture. “Hm. Maybe the great Ana Amari is now the soft one here.” She grins at the brief glare she receives as she turns to pad out into the open field. Her footsteps are quickly joined by a faster moving set, approaching quickly. Her grin widens as she listens and waits for the opportune moment to coil and leap above the tall grass, avoiding the snap of fangs at her hind legs.  


_“Did you know jackals are one of the best jumpers in the wild dog family?”_

_A much younger Adelah and Camille walk alongside their mother, all in their jackal forms as they weave through tall grass. Both sets of bright eyes look up at Fareeha questioningly, so she elaborates. “Our ancestors, when they lived and thrived back in Africa, they were bestowed with the ability to leap great heights, to bound high above the tall grass of the African plains to find food, water or shelter. They made a game amongst their packs, where they would chase one another through the grass, to bite at each other’s ankles.” Camille’s face is mortified, Adelah’s full of childlike wonder already eager to try. “Not hard, of course. We’d never bite hard enough to draw blood, though sometimes it happened by accident. It is how pups were taught to hunt and defend themselves from other predators that took advantage of their youngness. It’s just how like the two of you play chasey in the park, really. We call it Mehen, named after a very ancient Egyptian game based on a snake deity of ours. We move, careful, calculate and strike like a snake, one of the jackal’s greatest rival.”_

_“I wanna try!” Adelah pipes up, brimming with excitement and already practicing her jumping. “Cami, come catch me!” She starts running ahead before her sister can protest and Camille pouts. Fareeha stops at her youngest daughter’s side._

_“You and me, habibti. I think we can catch her together? Teamwork.” She nudges her daughter’s side and the girl perks up a little, happy to have her mother on her side. Together, they dive into the long grass to chase after Adelah._  


Fareeha lands with a graceful thud, leaping away from another advance from her mother. Their game was afoot now. She twirls to counter, ducking low to nip at Ana’s front paws, only catching air when the elder hops away. Together, they dance through the tall grass, scuffling back and forth, twirling around each other, growling and barking playfully. Fareeha takes a risky dive and catches Ana’s tail and is rewarded with a swift kick, sending her off balance. Ana cashes in, leaping upon her daughter and the game is taken to the ground in a mess of tangled limbs, wrestling for dominance, barking and growling as they rolled in the grass. Ana pins Fareeha down nipping at her ears and the scruff of her neck, long maw eventually gripping her daughter’s head, not hard enough to cause injury, but enough for her Fareeha to yield, begrudgingly. Ana eventually let go, flopping down over Fareeha with exhaustion and licking where she bit apologetically and Fareeha nuzzles back, no hard feelings between the two. But maybe a bruised ego.  


\--  


Ana stays for almost a week, dedicating time to everyone in the family. Her and Angela would take a walk through the town together, chatting about this and that over a coffee. They tend to the garden together, farming produce to cook up for dinner. A sense of comfort was found in having a motherly figure in Angela’s life again.

“How did you feel when Fareeha revealed her secret to you? She told me of it, but I am curious to hear from you.”

Angela contemplates, remembering all those years passed, that night in the park when Fareeha threw all caution to the wind and transformed before her eyes.

“I was… surprised, of course. But relieved? If that makes sense. I felt like suddenly everything made sense. Relieved to see a burden lifted from Fareeha’s shoulders. To see her fear turn to comfort when I hadn’t screamed and ran like she perhaps anticipated. I think that night really sealed something for us.” Her cheeks burned, remembering the rest of the night. Ana smiled knowingly, returning her attention to the pot of soup she stirred over the stove.  
  


She went with Adelah to school, letting the girl show her around, introducing her to her teachers and friends. Ana gave her a subtle wink after meeting Emmet, making the girl splutter and formulate some argument about being just friends, blushing furiously when Ana laughed and elbowed her in jest. Although Ana didn’t pry towards Adelah’s apparent aversion to being jackal, they found themselves engrossed in many a conversation, Ade completely fascinated by Ana’s tales and grandmotherly advice.

Fareeha and Ana would take Camille out. Adelah would make some excuse of being too busy with homework to join them, her aversion to shifting forms had not gone unnoticed, but they let her be. On Angela’s day off, the entire family would go hiking, herself and Adelah walked together while the three jackals trotted about. She smiled fondly as they bounded through grass, play fighting and wrestling together. Ade watched on quietly, a journal opened in her lap but pen unmoving.

“Why don’t you go join them schatz?” Angela asks, taking a seat below the shade of a tree beside her daughter.

Camille and Ana both pin Fareeha to the ground victoriously, until she shakes herself free and begins the chase anew, three dark blurs dash through the grass, chirping and growling at one another.

“Nah, I’m good.” She resumes scribbling in her pad.

Unconvinced, Angela nudges the girls shoulder, “what’s the matter?”

“Nothing.”

Angela’s mom sirens go off. “Doesn’t sound like nothing to me. You can talk to me, you know? A few years ago and you’d have been leaping at the chance to be out there joining them.”

Adelah works her jaw a little, avoiding her mother’s blue eyes. She’s right. Of course, she’s right. “I just… don’t really… like being a jackal anymore.”

“Don’t like? Schatzli, is this something to do with hurting Emmet? Or trying to fit in at school? You loved being a jackal. What changed?”

The girl shrugs, continuing to watch the three play, “Maybe I decided being human was better.”

“You can’t be both?”

“I don’t want to be a jackal,” the finality in her voice ends the conversation and Angela sighs in defeat, watching Adelah return to her work.

Fareeha trots over to the pair in the shade, panting. She flops down on Angela’s lap, sagging under her wife’s fingers scratching that wonderful soft spot behind her ears, and between her shoulders. Ana and Camille follow soon after, taking their spot under the tree to cool off. The elder jackal takes a seat beside Adelah, resting her chin on the girl’s book and peering up with one knowing golden eye. Ade forces a smile and pets her, running her fingers through coarse black fur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super sorry for the lateness of this chapter. It's been hard keeping motivation to do anything these days. And I felt this chapter was fairly important and wanted to put a lot into it.. I hope it's okay mdfserg


	19. (Author note)

Sorry to bait you all with an update >< I feel a little bad that i've not updated in months and i figured this was the best way for readers to see this. I'm not sure how many are even interested dsfgdrg. I just wanted to say that I'm not abandoning the story but I'm heavily burnt out. I do actually have a full chapter sitting here beta'd and ready to upload but I'm not satisfied with it and would rather fix it in time when motivation comes back and i can soldier on and finish the story - which, mind you, is just a few chapters from coming to an end.

Fun fact, I initially wanted to stop the fic after they left Zurich earlier in the story, but felt bad leaving the story open. 

I actually have some bonus chapters drafted for this series that perhaps i'll upload separately eventually

<3


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